A School Program for Children Exposed to Violence

RanD

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: School-based cognitive behavioral support group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT00260195

DDTR B3-PDS

R01MH072591 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will develop a program to help school children deal with violence-related trauma.

Full description

The number of children who have been indirectly or directly exposed to violence has dramatically increased in the last decade. The emotional and behavioral consequences of violence exposure can be particularly devastating to children. Interventions are needed that can reduce symptoms related to traumas already experienced and enhance children's skills for handling extreme stress that might be experienced in the future. The Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program was developed between 1998 and 2001 to help children in the Los Angeles school district deal with traumatic events. Although promising, the program required a school-based mental health clinician for implementation. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a program adapted for the Los Angeles CBITS program that can be used by school staff in a middle school setting. The adapted CBITS program will be compared to a wait list to determine which is more effective in reducing trauma-related stress and depression among sixth grade students.

Students who have experienced violence-related trauma will be randomly assigned to receive either 10 weekly sessions of group cognitive behavioral therapy or to wait 3 months. Self-report scales and interviews will be used to assess the emotional states of participants at study entry and study completion. No follow-up visits will be required.

Enrollment: 78 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 14 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Students in 6th and 7th grade in two participating Los Angeles area schools
• Exposure to severe violence, as either a victim or witness, within 1 year prior to study entry
• Have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder at study entry
• Able to speak and understand English
• Parent or guardian willing to give informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that are not related to a traumatic event
• Mental retardation
• Conduct disorder that would interfere with the participant's ability to engage in group therapy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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78 participants in 2 patient groups

School-based cognitive behavioral support group

Experimental group

Description:

Ten group lessons facilitated by a teacher or school counselor that focuses on psycho-education, development of a trauma narrative, approaching trauma-related situations, social problem solving, and cognitive skills.

Treatment:

Behavioral: School-based cognitive behavioral support group

Wait-list control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Waiting list