Efficacy of treatment for child and adolescent traumatic stress.
BACKGROUND
Despite the expenditure of large sums of public monies to ameliorate the consequences of childhood trauma, little is known about the efficacy of treatment for traumatized children and their families.


OBJECTIVE
To review the efficacy of treatment for child and adolescent traumatic stress.


METHODS
An extensive literature search identified 102 studies addressing child and adolescent trauma treatment.


METHODS
Only 8 studies met the minimal inclusion criteria of (1) using a comparison group and (2) including symptoms of traumatic stress as a treatment outcome.


METHODS
These studies are critically evaluated for adherence to standards of good efficacy research using formal criteria of treatment research quality.


RESULTS
Treatment for traumatic stress appears to lead to greater improvement than either no treatment or routine community care.


CONCLUSIONS
Child and adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder treatment research lags behind both adult posttraumatic stress disorder treatment research and other child treatment research. There is considerable need to establish a programmatic approach to developing evidence-based child trauma treatment. Barriers to conducting child trauma treatment research include sensitivity to the rights of victims and child service models that perceive research as intruding on vulnerable children at critically sensitive points in their development.
Child and Adolescent Trauma Recovery Program, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10028, USA.
Tisha L
TL
Taylor
Claude M
CM
Chemtob
D000293:Adolescent; D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors