Psychological interventions on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder across the life span

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading known and preventable cause of intellectual disability in the western world, affecting up to 1-5% of the population. It is considered an underdiagnosed and undertreated disorder, with few psychological interventions with empirical evidence. To review all the studies published to date on the psychological treatment of FASD throughout life. A bibliographic search was carried out using the MEDLINE, PsychINFO, PubMed and Cochrane Library databases using the terms 'fetal alcohol syndrome disorder' AND 'cognitive behavioral intervention' OR 'psychological intervention' OR 'psychological treatment' OR 'therapy' OR 'psychotherapy'. The review included published works which evaluate the efficacy of psychological treatments for these patients. Twenty published studies met the inclusion criteria. The treatments were classified according to the type of intervention: emotional and behavioral regulation, social skills training and family interventions for patients with FASD. The results indicate that psychological treatments focused on emotional and behavioral regulation, social skills training and family interventions are the most evidenced treatments for these patients. These treatments are based on cognitive-behavioral principles and include school-age children. However, more research is needed on psychological interventions for adults with FASD. Despite the progress in psychological interventions for FASD, the research still reflects highlighted limitations.