NCJ Number
207319
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 43 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2004 Pages: 1225-1233
Date Published
October 2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This pilot study examined the treatment response to individual child and parent trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood traumatic grief (CTG).
Abstract
CTG in children involves the development of trauma symptoms after losing loved ones under traumatic circumstances; the trauma is considered clinical when it impedes on the child’s ability to progress through the normal grieving process. While most treatment addresses such trauma in group settings, with child victims of trauma it may be more appropriate to conduct individual therapy, with parental involvement. The current pilot study evaluated the clinical outcomes of an individual child and parent trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood traumatic grief (CTG), which sequentially addressed trauma and grief symptoms in a 16-session treatment model. The study sample included 22 children and their primary caregivers, who were assessed multiple times to correspond with important treatment phases using the Expanded Grief Inventory, the Children’s PTSD Symptom Scale, the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and the Screen for Children’s Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. Results of SPSS General Linear Modeling indicated that children improved significantly on measures of CTG, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems. PTSD symptoms only improved during the trauma-focused treatment elements, while CTG symptoms improved during both trauma- and grief-focused treatments. Caregivers also demonstrated decreased PTSD and depressive symptoms. The timing of the PTSD and CTG improvements suggest that the sequential trauma- and grief-focused interventions were effective and also show that CTG, while related, is distinct from PTSD and should be addressed as a separate issue in treatment. Future research should use randomized, controlled trails to further test this treatment intervention model. Tables, references