Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma最新文献

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) was added as a new diagnosis to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Research on treatment interventions for PGD has focused primarily on adults. However, due to developmental differences, children and adolescents may experience grief differently than adults. There is a need to tailor interventions to children and adolescent populations, but there is a lack of consensus on best practices for treating PGD in these populations. The purpose of this study was to review existing interventions for PGD in children and adolescents to better inform clinicians working with this population. A systematic review was conducted through Google Scholar, APAPsychNet, and by following citations. Studies were reviewed for participant age, prolonged grief symptoms or diagnosis, intervention, and outcomes. Ten studies were included for review with eight interventions identified. Results for each intervention were found to be generally positive in reducing PGD symptoms. Interventions were grouped by modality including group treatments, hybrid treatments (combined group or individual therapy with family therapy), family treatment, and individual treatment. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Attachment Theory and Multidimensional Grief Theory were common theoretical bases for interventions and all shared elements of psychoeducation and integrating knowledge about the loss with existing knowledge. Involvement of surviving parents in treatment was found to be a common element across most child and adolescent interventions and was not included in PGD treatment for adults. This review was limited in scope due to lack of research on child and adolescent populations for PGD treatment and heterogeneity of intervention types. However, preliminary findings support the efficacy of interventions for PGD in children and adolescents and highlight a key difference in treatment for these populations.

The study aimed to examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a group of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) and to investigate associations between HRQoL and potential risk and protective factors. The sample includes 79 URMs aged 15 to 20 (83.3% male; 80% response rate) who responded to the KIDSCREEN-27 as a measure of HRQoL. URMs reported lower scores on the HRQoL Index (d = 0.5), physical well-being (d = 0.8), psychological well-being (d = 0.7), autonomy and caregiver relations (d = 0.5), and peers and social support (d = 0.5), but not school environment (d = 0.04) compared to European population norms. Participants with fewer symptoms of depression had better HRQoL across all dimensions, and URMs with fewer post-traumatic symptoms and less frequent contact with contact persons reported better psychological well-being. All effect sizes ranged from small to medium. Contact with family in the home country was not significantly associated with HRQoL. Potential traumatic events were negatively associated with psychological well-being and peers and social support in post-hoc analyses. To conclude, URMs presented lower HRQoL than European population norms, and HRQoL was related to their reported mental health symptoms.

Since 1980 in the United States (US), more than 10 million arrests have occurred each year. With a majority of those incarcerated being parents, millions of children and remaining household members are adversely affected. Despite the volume of US arrests, few studies provide family context and child considerations about the time period of arrest. This study sought to describe family experiences and considerations to best support youth during parental arrest. Qualitative data were gathered using semi-structured, in-depth phone interviews from March to August 2020 with adolescents (12-18 years) who have had a parent incarcerated, caregivers of children of incarcerated parents, and parents upon one year of release of incarceration. Participants were recruited using flyers and emails to community-based organizations and schools. General themes emerged through qualitative content analysis and inductive open coding procedures. Data from 26 participants were summarized (10 adolescents, 10 caregivers, and six parents upon one year of release from jail/prison). Upon arrest, family experiences were described as traumatizing and stigmatizing regardless of whether the child was present to observe the arrest. The effects of witnessing the arrest were influenced by officer treatment. Families shared how limited household- and community-based resources were available to help the family cope with the consequences of the arrest. Results underscore the need for family-centered approaches and improved interventions upon arrest that may better support children and family members during this time. Recommendations for better transparency, connection, and transition supports are discussed.

Purpose: Positive childhood experiences build a sense of belonging and connection and predict school success and wellness. The peak team curriculum creates positive childhood experiences to build resilient mindsets and relationships for youth struggling with toxic stress. The purpose of this study was to survey the strengths and needs of predominantly Black students, grades 4-7, in a public charter school and to evaluate the impact of peak team. This research is crucial due to the high levels of toxic stress faced by these students, which can significantly impact their academic and emotional development.

Methods: In late 2020 and early 2021, 270 and then 210 students completed a 41-question survey; 25 teachers and school administrators participated in focus groups.

Results: Surveys showed that participating students had pride, optimism, emotional awareness, and caring, supportive families. Most distrusted neighbors who were not helpful, experienced loss from death and incarceration of loved ones, and had been stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and administrators valued the peak team approach and recommended expansion of services. Teachers noted significant improvements in student engagement, emotional regulation, and social interactions, highlighting the program's positive impact on students' behavior and emotional well-being.

Conclusion: Surveys of students help to inform school health practice by revealing the strengths of children and their challenges needing attention. The peak team program had a positive impact by improving emotional regulation, fostering supportive relationships, and building resilience. Pride, optimism, emotional awareness, and caring families improve educational success and lifelong wellbeing. Trauma-informed programs teach children how to calm themselves, regulate emotions and behaviors, tap their strengths, and build resiliency to cope.

Following a traumatic injury, 25-57% of children will develop clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The cognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder posits that PTSS develop based on the encoding of trauma memories and the individual's appraisals of the event and its sequelae. In addition, the behaviors and cognitive strategies used to cope with distress are proposed to serve as causal and maintaining factors for PTSS. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and summarize the role of psychological processing factors, including cognitive appraisals, trauma memory, and coping styles, on the development of PTSS in children following injury. Systematic searches were conducted in May 2024 for articles published at any time in PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and PTSDpubs databases. Included articles analyzed the association between cognitive appraisals, trauma memories, and/or coping strategies and PTSS in children (ages 5-18) who received medical treatment for a single-incident traumatic injury. Data were extracted related to study and sample characteristics, measures, and findings regarding the association between psychological processes and PTSS. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. The titles and abstracts of 836 articles were screened, and 105 full text articles were reviewed, resulting in 34 eligible articles. Articles were rated as being of "good" (44%) or "fair" (56%) quality. Studies examined cognitive appraisals (n = 18), trauma memory characteristics (n = 15), and coping strategies (n = 13). Several factors were associated with PTSS, including maladaptive cognitive appraisals, guilt, avoidant coping, and decreased cohesion, accuracy, and context in the trauma narrative. This review provides support for the cognitive model of PTSS when applied to pediatric injury populations. Limitations of the current literature are noted, including lack of evidence of temporal associations and relationships between variables in the cognitive model. Findings can be used to identify cognitive-behavioral treatment targets and ascertain the ideal timing for screening and preventative interventions.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-025-00695-0.

Adolescents experience various life events. Among them, some negative life events may give an opportunity for adolescents to experience personal growth, potentially known as posttraumatic growth (PTG), through processes such as receiving psychological education or sharing one's experiences with someone. The current study aimed to examine the short-term effects of a psychoeducational program and the role of self-disclosure in PTG and resilience. Adolescents (Mage = 16.91, SD = 0.73) were randomly assigned into one of two conditions. Participants in the psychoeducational condition discussed various examples and key factors of PTG whereas participants in the control group discussed the general topics of psychology. Three weeks later, they completed questions assessing self-disclosure (i.e., if they had spoken to anyone about the event they experienced), PTG, and resilience, if they reported that they experienced an impactful, negative life event (e.g., verbal aggression) that involved hurting someone, during the past three weeks (N = 194; 138 females, 56 males). Results indicated that neither PTG nor resilience differed by conditions. Additionally, regardless of conditions, those who spoke about the event reported higher PTG but not resilience than those who did not. Our findings demonstrate that while the psychoeducational program did not have an immediate effect on PTG or resilience, speaking to someone about their event was associated with higher PTG. The lack of intervention effects could be due to the brevity of the program as well as the unique focus of negative life event (i.e., the idea of hurting others could lead to an opportunity for self-reflection and personal growth). The current research has implications for adolescent trauma-informed care for clinicians and educators, highlighting the important role of self-disclosure, as well as the limited impact of brief psychoeducational programs when the outcome was centered on PTG and resilience. Future studies should refine both program assessments and interventions for adolescents who intentionally or unintentionally have hurt others and consider the mechanisms behind the significant roles of self-disclosure on PTG and resilience within trauma-informed care for adolescents.

The prolonged exposure to the Syrian war has profoundly affected the mental health of children, leading to disruptions in cognitive development and long-term well-being. This study examined the efficacy of an expressive art therapy intervention based on the Coping Cat Program in alleviating sleep disorders among Syrian war-affected children with secondary traumatic stress (STS). Twenty children residing in war-exposed areas and scoring high on the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale were included; 10 children were randomly assigned to the expressive art therapy intervention. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and semi-structured interviews were conducted at three time points: pre-treatment, post-treatment (8 weeks), and follow-up (12 weeks). Repeated measures analyses of variance demonstrated significant improvements in sleep disorder symptoms for the experimental group compared to the control group at post-treatment, with sustained effects observed at the 3-month follow-up. These findings demonstrate the potential of expressive art therapy as an intervention for addressing sleep disorders in war-affected children.

Substantial evidence links ACE scores with adult health complications, emphasizing the significance of enhanced detection, interpretation, and management of ACEs in primary care settings for adults. This systematic review aims to explore existing ACE screening and post-screening practices for adult patients in primary care settings worldwide via a thorough systematic review, including a search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases. Out of an initial 883 potential articles from two independent reviewers, 53 articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in the US (71.7%). Globally, 83% of the ACE screening studies indicated that ACES were screened specifically for research purposes, while the remaining 17% covered quality improvement, trauma-informed care interventions, and routine screenings in healthcare settings. This review delves into various intricacies of ACEs screening, the professional roles involved in the screening process, the location where the screening was conducted, prior training on ACEs for the screening implementers, and subsequent actions like interventions, referrals, and resource allocation. Despite growing awareness of the long-term effects of ACEs, a gap exists between ACEs research and related clinical practices in primary care. Additionally, there is no consensus on how to utilize ACEs screening in primary care and which ACE scores necessitate indicated interventions. Implications focus on the collaborative health use of ACEs screenings in primary care.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-025-00691-4.

Research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet few studies have considered a broad range of concurrent risk factors for relationship violence in their analysis. This study used two waves of data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), collected in 2001 and 2018-2020, to assess the cumulative effects of ACEs reported on during adolescence on physical IPV victimization 17 years later in adulthood among 855 respondents (369 men and 486 women), while also accounting for proximal risk factors. Results from logistic regression analyses revealed that the number of childhood adversities experienced significantly influenced physical IPV victimization, accounting for proximal risks. Both respondents' and partners' sociodemographic characteristics and histories of violence with previous partners were also significant correlates, as were respondents' psychological correlates and partners' substance use. We conclude that childhood adversity is significantly correlated with being physically victimized by a romantic partner in adulthood, even when more proximal risk factors for relationship violence are considered. Implications for practitioners working with individuals who have experienced partner violence are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) bring an increased risk for the development of internalising outcomes. Nevertheless, how the cumulative effect of ACEs combines with other variables, such as coping strategies, to give rise to internalising problems has been little studied so far. Therefore, the current study investigates which specific combinations of total ACEs, coping strategies, and sociodemographic variables influence depression, anxiety, and stress. To this end, 420 young Spanish adults (63% women) 18-20 years old (mean age = 18.92; SD = 0.77) participated in the study. Participants answered sociodemographic questions and completed the ACEs Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Brief Coping Scale. Both fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and regression models suggested that the cumulative impact of ACEs, in combination with avoidant emotion-focused coping, may conduce internalising problems in women. These findings could serve as a basis for interventions aimed at the primary screening of populations more sensitive to the development of internalising problems as well as in the re-education of adaptive coping strategies in those who have suffered ACEs, in order to avoid more severe long-term problems.