Methodological Guide for Conducting an Overview: An Example of Art Therapy for Children with Trauma

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of overviews, making it necessary to establish methodological guidelines for their planning and elaboration. Most existing guides are not always suited to qualitative overviews or present specific examples that aid understanding of what this research method requires. This study aims to offer methodological guidelines for the design, elaboration and reporting of qualitative overviews following an example of art therapy interventions involving children with trauma. The different phases of the overview are developed on the basis of the research question that served as an example: What are the main findings of systematic reviews investigating the effects of art therapy on children exposed to traumatic situations? Each phase is accompanied by a brief definition intended to provide guidance on what is expected in that phase; frequently asked questions that might arise during the process; the procedure that has been followed for the design, development and analysis of the overview itself; recommendations for future reviews; difficulties, possible threats and common errors; and how to conduct a qualitative overview with an example of art therapy. The methodological challenges of planning and conducting a qualitative overview are presented in terms of the difficulty of framing the research question, the overlap of primary studies and data, the reliability of the findings obtained, and the assessment of the risk of bias. This study intends to provide the necessary support to doctoral students, academics and practitioners who wish to work with this research method.