Psychotherapeutic options for traumatized children

Abstract

This review addresses two issues. First, it updates readers on new treatments for traumatized children. Second, it examines the breadth of target problems that current evidence-based treatments for child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) effectively address in the context of current diagnostic uncertainty. Specifically, changes have been proposed to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for PTSD and a proposal has been submitted to add a new developmental trauma disorder to optimally describe the range of outcomes experienced by traumatized children. Three recently completed treatment studies are described. A review of five established child trauma treatments for PTSD, child-parent psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral interventions for trauma in schools, cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD, structured psychotherapy for adolescents responding to chronic stress, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy documents that these treatments effectively resolve problems in multiple domains beyond the current PTSD diagnostic criteria. These domains include affective dysregulation, behavioral dysregulation, cognitive dysregulation, and relational dysregulation. New treatments for children are promising for treating PTSD and some other symptoms. Current evidence-based child trauma treatments address a broad array of trauma-related difficulties.