A follow-up study of a multisite, randomized, controlled trial for children with sexual abuse-related PTSD symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain whether the differential responses that previously have been found between trauma-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), and child-centered therapy (CCT) for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related problems in children who had been sexually abused would persist following treatment and to examine potential predictors of treatment outcome.


METHODS
A total of 183 children 8 to 14 years old and their primary caregivers were assessed 6 and 12 months after their posttreatment evaluations.


RESULTS
Mixed-model repeated analyses of covariance found that children treated with TF-CBT had significantly fewer symptoms of PTSD and described less shame than the children who had been treated with CCT at both 6 and 12 months. The caregivers who had been treated with TF-CBT also continued to report less severe abuse-specific distress during the follow-up period than those who had been treated with CCT. Multiple traumas and higher levels of depression at pretreatment were positively related to the total number of PTSD symptoms at posttreatment for children assigned to the CCT condition only.


CONCLUSIONS
Children and caregivers assigned to TF-CBT continued to have fewer symptoms of PTSD, feelings of shame, and abuse-specific parental distress at 6- and 12-month assessments as compared to participants assigned to CCT.
Deblinger
Esther
E
Department of Psychiatry, School of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA. deblines@umdnj.edu
Mannarino
Anthony P
AP
Cohen
Judith A
JA
Steer
Robert A
RA
D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012752:Shame; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome