Journal article
Effectiveness of abbreviated trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy for South African adolescents: a randomized controlled trial
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY, v 14(1), 2181602
31 Dec 2023
PMID: 37052081
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: In low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) trauma exposure among youth is high, but mental health services are critically under-resourced. In such contexts, abbreviated trauma treatments are needed. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an abbreviated eight-session version of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) for improving posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in a sample of South African adolescents. Method: 75 trauma-exposed adolescents (21 males, 54 females; mean age = 14.92, range = 11-19) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were randomly assigned to eight sessions of TF-CBT or to usual services. At baseline, post-treatment and three-month follow-up, participants completed the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for DSM 5 (CPSS-5) and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The trial is registered on the Pan African Trial Registry (PACTR202011506380839).6. Results: 95% of TF-CBT participants completed treatment while only 47% of TAU participants accessed treatment. Intention-to-treat analyses found that the TF-CBT group had a significantly greater reduction in CPSS-5 PTSD symptom severity at post-treatment (Cohen's d = 0. 60, p < .01) and three-month follow-up (Cohen's d = 0.62, p < . 01), and a greater reduction in the proportion of participants meeting the CPSS-5 clinical cut-off for PTSD at both time points (p = .02 and p = .03, respectively). There was also a significantly greater reduction in depression symptom severity in the TF-CBT group at post-treatment (Cohen's d = 0.51, p = .03) and three-month follow-up (Cohen's d = 0.41, p = .05), and a greater reduction in the proportion of TF-CBT participants meeting the BDI clinical cut-off for depression at both time points (p = .02 and p = .03, respectively). Conclusion: The findings provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy of an abbreviated eight-session version of TF-CBT for reducing PTSD and depression symptoms in a LMIC sample of adolescents with multiple trauma exposure.
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Details
- Title
- Effectiveness of abbreviated trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy for South African adolescents: a randomized controlled trial
- Publication Details
- EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY, v 14(1), 2181602
- Publisher
- TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD; ABINGDON
- Grant note
- This work was supported by National Research Foundation South Africa [grant number 93568].
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000945886100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85149915654
- Other Identifier
- 991021860725904721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Psychology, Clinical