Submitted by la334 on Fri, 16/05/2025 - 10:32
A recent systematic review led by PhD student Irena Tetkovic from the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry has revealed a significant gap in research and interventions aimed at supporting siblings of children and young people with mental health conditions.
Published in JCPP Advances, the study examined existing interventions for siblings aged 4 to 24 years who have a brother or sister with a mental health condition. Out of 2,469 studies screened, only four met the inclusion criteria. These included two family-based treatments and two drop-in group support interventions. The findings suggest that while sibling support groups promise to improve sibling outcomes, the quality and quantity of evidence are limited, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
The review underscores the need for more robust research to understand the mental health trajectories of siblings and to identify factors that influence their wellbeing. It also highlights the importance of clinicians being mindful of the potential effects of a child's mental health condition on their siblings and encourages open communication within families.
Irena's work is part of the Sibwell project, which aims to explore why some young people cope better than others when a sibling has a mental health condition. Her research is supported by the Friends of Peterhouse PhD Scholarship and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research.
For more information, you can access the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12300
Irena Tetkovic
PhD Student, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
Irena Tetkovic is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry. Her research focuses on the mental health and well-being of young people who have siblings with mental health conditions. Through her project, Sibwell aims to understand the unique challenges these siblings face and to inform the development of effective support strategies.
Her recent systematic review highlighted a significant gap in research and interventions tailored for siblings of individuals with mental health conditions. The study found that while sibling support groups show promise, overall, there is a lack of robust evidence guiding best practices in this area.
Irena's work is supported by the Friends of Peterhouse PhD Scholarship and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research. She is also affiliated with the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England.