Examining the Benefits of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma Informed Yoga for Survivors of Human Trafficking by Occupational Therapists: A Systematic Review

Human trafficking (HT) is a violation of human rights causing injuries that often result in deep mental and physical scars on survivors with a lifelong deleterious impact on engagement in all occupations and overall health. A lack of attention to these needs results in chronic disorders that cause occupational injustice and imbalance, lifelong dependence on healthcare, and early mortality. In occupational therapy, adjunctive evidence-based interventions are needed to provide holistic care to support recovery for these individuals. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and the mindfulness approach of trauma-informed yoga (TIY) are two interventions used with this population to alleviate post-trauma symptoms; however, their underlying mechanism to aid with recovery and their overall outcomes vary. The objective is to examine the effectiveness of trauma-focused interventions, TF-CBT and TIY, to holistically address the needs of HT survivors specifically for occupational therapy practice. Data sources are Ovid(Medline), CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. The inclusion criteria were: (i) human participants, (ii) populations with trafficking trauma, (iii) interventions TF-CBT and/or TIY, (iv) published between 2009 and 2024, and (v) published in English. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. The outcomes of these studies indicate that TF-CBT has moderate strength quantitative evidence and TIY evidence is considered weak. However, quality assessment of the Level 6 TIY studies indicates high qualitative value, with findings that were transparent, transferable, and generalizable to larger populations. TF-CBT and/or TIY are evidence-based interventions that can be used as adjunctive therapies, either administered by the occupational therapists or referred to specialists trained in these modalities, to mitigate trauma-related symptoms. When used together, they can be complementary and have a more holistic effect. However, higher level quantitative and mixed-methods studies using more rigorous methodologies are needed to strengthen the evidence.