Treating traumatized children: current status and future directions

Abstract

Empirical knowledge regarding effective treatments for traumatized children has increased in the past decade, yet much still remains unknown. There is growing support for the efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for treating PTSD, depressive, and behavioral problems in sexually abused children, and evidence that suggests that this treatment is effective for children exposed to other types of trauma, and for multiply traumatized children. Few other psychosocial treatments have been adequately studied to date. Open psychopharmacological studies have identified several promising medication classes for traumatized children but these need to be tested in randomized, placebo controlled trials. No empirical studies have evaluated the efficacy of early interventions provided to children in the acute aftermath of mass disasters or terrorist acts. More research is needed to test potentially effective treatments for traumatized children, and to identify optimal methods for disseminating and implementing evidence-based treatments to community practitioners.