Trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for interpersonal trauma in transitional-aged youth
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following interpersonal trauma in transitional-aged youth (TAY), aged 15 to 25, is highly prevalent; however, evidence-based interventions have rarely been studied. METHOD: A single-group pre-/posttest study was conducted at headspace Sunshine, Melbourne, Australia, evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, safety, tolerability, and potential clinical effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). RESULTS: An intent-to-treat analysis was conducted for N = 20 participants (65% female, n = 13) who attended a mean of 15 TF-CBT sessions over 25 weeks. At the end of treatment, only 1 of the 16 participants with a baseline PTSD diagnosis still met diagnostic criteria. Significant improvements were also noted for self-report measures of PTSD (d = -.83), anxiety (d = -.74), and depression (d = -.76). A minority of participants reported a brief exacerbation in symptoms of PTSD (n = 8) and anxiety and depression (n = 5) during stabilization and directly before and/or after the trauma-narration phase. However, all symptoms resolved at the end of treatment. The majority of participants (85%, n = 17) rated the intervention as helpful. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the expected temporary symptom exacerbation, the results indicated that TF-CBT was safe, tolerable, and acceptable. Transitional-aged youth is an emerging area of research. With limited research available on this age group to inform evidence-based practice, it is recommended that a randomized controlled trial is conducted to determine if TF-CBT (Cohen et al., 2017) can be effectively translated to this underresearched age group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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TF-CBT is effective in reducing PTSD symptoms in specific adolescent age ranges, tailored to particular age groups.
“Researchers in the study [45] delve into TF-CBT within specific adolescent age ranges, evaluating its effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms tailored to particular age groups.”
From Clinical Efficacy of Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as [45]
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“…as it was specifically designed for use with children and adolescents, has established efficacy across multiple trauma types and developmental levels, and has been piloted in young people in the Australian headspace setting (De Arellano et al., 2014; Eastwood et al., 2021; Peters et al., 2021).”
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- Authors
- Peters, W., Rice, S., Cohen, J., Murray, L., Schley, C., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., & Bendall, S.
- Affiliations
- Orygen (AU)
- Allegheny General Hospital (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 313-321
- ISSN
- 1942-9681 (ISSN-L)
- 1942-969X
- OpenAlex
- W3134850890
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 4.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, post-traumatic stress disorder, interpersonal trauma, transitional-aged youth, adolescents and young adults, treatment feasibility, symptom exacerbation, anxiety, depression, trauma narration
- MeSH terms
- Emotional Abuse, Adolescent, Adult, Australia, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Violence, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Young Adult
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