Table 1.
Characteristics of Reviewed Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews on Treatment of PTSD/PTSS for Children and Adolescents
| Meta-Analysis/Systematic Review | N Studies | Intervention(s) | Trauma Type(s) | Diagnosis | Effect Size (g) | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silverman et al. (2008) | 21 |
TF-CBT School-based group CBT Individual CBT Resilient peer treatment CPT EMDR Family therapy Client-centered therapy |
Sexual abuse Physical abuse Community violence Hurricane exposure Witness to marital violence Motor vehicle accident |
PTSS PTSD |
.43 | Possibly efficacious treatments included EMDR, client-centered therapy, family therapy, child-parent psychotherapy, and CBT for PTSD |
| Rodenburg et al. (2009) | 7 |
EMDR CBT treatments |
Sexual abuse Hurricane Firework disaster |
PTSS | .56 | EMDR was significantly more effective in treating symptoms compared to other treatments and controls. EMDR was found to be incrementally more effective than CBT. |
| Harvey and Taylor (2010) | 39 |
TF-CBT Play therapy Supportive counseling EMDR |
Sexual abuse | PTSS | 1.12 | Cognitive-behavioral treatments were found to produce the largest effect sizes compared to insight-oriented, eclectic, and other therapies. |
| Puttre (2011) | 67 |
CBT TF-CBT School-based CBT EMDR Child-centered play therapy |
Sexual abuse War/Refugee |
PTSS | .83 | Although TF-CBT had the largest effect size of the treatments reviewed, it was not significantly different from the other therapies. |
| Kowalik et al. (2011) | 8 | CBT | Sexual abuse | PTSS | – | CBT was effective in the treatment of children with PTSS. In particular, Total Problems, Internalizing, and Externalizing of the CBCL showed favorable outcomes reflected by greater effect sizes of the CBT treatment groupsversus comparison groups. |
| Rolfsnes and Idsoe (2011) | 19 |
Individual or group CBT Group play/art therapy Group mind/body techniques Individual EMDR |
Political conflict Community violence Hurricane Tsunami Earthquake World Trade Center attacks Refugees/asylum-seekers War |
PTSS | .68 | The most common treatment approach, CBT, was found to be largely effective in relation to the programs reviewed. Many of these studies also had effect sizes in the medium to large range in relation to co-morbid symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). |
| Cary and McMillen (2012) | 10 | TF-CBT |
Sexual abuse Intimate partner violence Life threatening traumatic event |
PTSS | .671 | TF-CBT was effective in reducing PTSS, depression, and behavior problems. |
| Greyber et al. (2012)a | 5 | EMDR |
Domestic violence Sexual abuse Emotional/physical abuse Motor vehicle accident |
PTSD | – | Four out of five studies included showed a reduction in PTSS for those who received EMR, regardless of age, gender, and the number of sessions provided. |
| de Arellano et al. (2014)a | 16 | TF-CBT |
Sexual abuse Hurricane exposure Intimate-partner violence Mixed trauma War exposure |
PTSS | – | In comparison to controls, TF-CBT groups showed consistent pre- to posttreatment decreases in PTSS, and these improvements were sustained at follow-up periods of up to 12 months. |
| Lenz and Hollenbaugh (2015) | 21 | TF-CBT |
Sexual assault Abuse/neglect Multiple types Terrorism War related Natural disaster |
PTSD | −1.48 | TF-CBT was found to be effective in treating the symptoms of PTSD and co-occurring depression among childrenand adolescents when compared to no treatment or alternative treatments. |
Note. Studies are listed in chronological order
aSystematic Review
N Studies, Total number of studies examined within meta-analysis or systematic review. TF-CBT, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. CBT, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. CPT, Cognitive Processing Therapy. EMDR, Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing. PTSS, Posttraumatic stress symptoms. PTSD, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. CBCL, Child Behavioral Checklist