title: Changes in the trauma narratives of youth receiving trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in relation to posttraumatic stress symptoms.
abstract: To understand the meaning of trauma narration, we examined changes in the trauma narratives of youth receiving trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and explored the relationship between changes in narratives and in posttraumatic stress.
  
  
  
  The sample consisted of 12 non-responders and 12 maximum-responders to treatment (M = 14.3, SD = 2.35, range = 10-17; 75% girls). The youth were assessed with the Clinical-Administered PTSD-Scale for Children and Adolescents both pre- and post-treatment. Their first and last narratives were coded according to a standardized coding manual.
  
  
  
  For the group as a whole there was an increase in organized thoughts and reports of internal events (e.g., descriptions of thoughts and feelings), while narrative fragmentation decreased. There were no significant narrative changes in external events (e.g., descriptions of actions and dialogues). Max-responders differed significantly from non-responders in developing more organized thoughts. We did not find a significant relationship between changes in narratives and changes in posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).
  
  
  
  Youth receiving TF-CBT develop narratives that contain more organized thoughts and a greater internal focus, which are both thought to be helpful for traumatized youth. However, more coherent and organized trauma narratives were not related to reductions in PTSS. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: This study suggests that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy contributes to more organized and coherent trauma narratives for traumatized youth. Although, this may be important and contribute to meaning making, therapist should be aware that this may not be sufficient in reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms in youth.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knutsen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.|b Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Tine K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Narrationen; PTSS; SEPT; Trauma; narrativas; narrative Organisation; narrative organization; narratives; narrazioni; organização narrativa; organizzazione della narrazione; terapia cognitivo comportamental focada em trauma; terapia cognitivo comportamentale centrata sul trauma; trauma; trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy; traumafokussierte kognitive Verhaltenstherapie; 以創傷為焦點之認知行為治療; 創傷; 創傷後壓力症狀; 敘事; 敘事統整性