Research Assessment #1

Source: Vitelli, Romeo. How Can We Treat Traumatized Children? Psychology Today, Sussex
Publishers, 25 Nov. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201211/how-
can-we-treat-traumatized-children.

Analysis:
One of the most challenging things a child can go through is trauma. Many children that
go through trauma have a history of childhood physical and sexual abuse, surviving a natural or
political disaster, or being a witness to a wide range of violent events. How a child can react to
such events varies from child to child. Some of the things that may influence the way a child
responds to trauma include:
The length of the traumatic event. Prolonged exposure vs. Short Exposure
Severity of the event.
Availability and access to resources afterward
In many cases, children often show signs of PTSD which can impair their ability to grow and
mature. Pediatricians face a problem in that there are multiple ways to treat a normal child but
limited in that for a child experiencing PTSD.

There are several ways to combat this issue among children. One prominent way it by
using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies, also known as CBT, which was originally developed for
adults but is now used for children. Some of the treatment approaches include:
Multi-modality Trauma Treatment
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Stanford Cue-Centered Therapy

Multi-modality Trauma Treatment (MMTT) Developed in 1998, it is based on the idea that
trauma at a young age can disrupt both physical and emotional growth. This approach usually
includes a 14-session format that can include psychoeducation, narrative writing (writing about
the traumatic experience), exposure and relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring.
Studies done on MMTT have shown a reduction in trauma as well as depression, anger, and
anxiety. The main advantage of MMTT is that it was developed specifically for children.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) developed in 2006 for children

between the ages of 3 and 18. Treatment programs using TF-CBT usually range from eight to
twenty sessions involving the child alone or the child and a parent/caregiver. The main goal of
TF-CBT is to help children and adolescents learn coping skills that will help them deal with
traumatic memories. TF-CBT involves the use of PRACTICE
Psychoeducation
Relaxation Skills
Affective expression and modulation
Cognitive coping skills
Trauma narration
In vivo exposure
Conjoint parent child sessions
Enhance safety

Stanford Cue-Centered Therapy (SCCT) Developed by Stanford School of Medicines Early

Life Stress Research Program, is a treatment approach focusing on individual therapy. Designed
to treat problems with a childs cognitive, affective, behavioral and physical functioning, SCCT
uses cognitive-behavioral techniques, relaxation training, narrative use and parental coaching.
The goal of SCCT is to reduce the childs negative thoughts and cognitions as well as sensitivity
to traumatic memory. Typically 15 to 18 sessions long, SCCT encourages children to build
coping skills including relaxation and self-empowerment. By helping children learn how
trauma affects them, they are able to control how they respond to traumatic reminders. Despite
its promise, SCCT requires extensive one-to-one therapy sessions which can be extremely time-
consuming.

These very different approaches are geared to help children dealing with PTSD.
Whichever approach professionals choose to use is up to them. No specific approach is better
than the other. PTSD may not seem like a huge problem among children but for those with
PTSD, it continues to haunt and disrupt the childhood that every child truly deserves to enjoy
and learn from.