Narrative interventions for children and adolescents in foster care: A scoping review

Abstract

This study aims to provide a scoping review of the literature on narrative therapy interventions for children and adolescents in foster care. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searches were conducted in PsycInfo, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Of 390 identified articles, 38 met inclusion criteria and were grouped into three categories: studies analyzing minor’s narratives to explore experiences and needs (n = 22), studies proposing theoretical or practice models without evaluating intervention efficacy (n = 10), and studies that evaluated the efficacy of an intervention (n = 6). The main findings reveal that children and adolescents in foster care often express a lack of internal locus of control and clear information about their lives, highlighting the need for empowering, resource-focused therapeutic approaches. Therapeutic strategies such as externalization, re-authoring, and life story work were identified as effective tools to provide coherence and continuity for identity development. Potential obstacles to applying these techniques to children and adolescents in foster care were also discussed. The study emphasizes the scarcity of validated programs for this population despite evidence of mental health risks. Future research may prioritize designing and systematically evaluating interventions tailored to their needs.