Investigating the usefulness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in adolescent residential care.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the usefulness of the trauma intervention, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), for adolescents in residential treatment.

METHOD: The study employed a secondary analysis of 132 adolescent trauma cases collected from youth while in a residential treatment facility in Mississippi.

RESULTS: Analysis indicated that clients showed significant decreases in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity scores after receiving TF-CBT in residential care. PTSD severity scores were significantly higher for the residential care sample as compared to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network's average baseline score. Females reported significantly higher PTSD and substance use scores than males. PTSD baseline scores, substance use scores, and gender contributed significantly to the prediction of PTSD outcomes post intervention.

CONCLUSION: Implications, based on study findings, to enhance services for traumatized youth in residential care were explored and discussed.