Abstract
Therapy to address PTSD symptoms in maltreated youth has received increased research attention in recent years. However, little data are available regarding the treatment of youth temporarily housed in shelter care facilities whose parents are unavailable or inaccessible. The present study examined a brief group therapy protocol for such youth in a county-operated shelter. Participants received 1-6 sessions of treatment depending on their length of stay at the shelter. Treatment components included psychoeducation, anxiety management, cognitive restructuring and coping skills, emotional expression, mindfulness, brief exposure, boundary setting, and journaling. Results revealed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms overall and that number of group therapy sessions mediated pre-treatment and post-treatment scores on various dependent measures. In addition, level of pre-treatment dissociation predicted reduction in PTSD levels. These preliminary results indicate that brief treatment for youth temporarily housed in a shelter care facility can provide some amelioration of PTSD-related symptoms.
Highlights
Trauma-focused therapy for maltreated children and adolescents has gained increased research attention in recent years
This study demonstrated on a preliminary basis the effectiveness of a brief trauma-focused group treatment therapy for maltreated youth in shelter care
Literature is sparse regarding the treatment of youth with post-traumatic symptoms in shelter care who have been removed from their homes due to maltreatment
Summary
Trauma-focused therapy for maltreated children and adolescents has gained increased research attention in recent years. Such therapy has typically focused on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in maltreated youth, which are often varied and substantial. PTSD rates are considerable among those victimized by sexual maltreatment (21-50%; 42-90% in clinical samples), physical maltreatment (50%), or neglect with domestic violence (33-50%) [4]. Trauma-focused therapy generally involves cognitive and behavioral components to address emotional regulation and coping skills and includes various forms of exposure-based practice. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TFCBT) has been developed to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in youth who have been sexually maltreated. TF-CBT involves psychoeducation, parenting skills, relaxation, emotional regulation, cognitive coping, trauma narratives, exposure-based practices, and safety enhancement [5]
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