Meta-Analysis of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating PTSD and Co-occurring Depression Among Children and Adolescents

Abstract

We evaluated the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for treating posttraumatic stress disorder and co-occurring depression symptoms across 21 between-group studies representing the data of 1,860 children and adolescents (1,106 girls and 754 boys). Separate meta-analytic procedures were conducted for studies that implemented wait-list/no treatment and alternative treatment comparisons to estimate aggregated treatment effect of TF-CBT and moderators of effect size magnitude. Limitations of our findings and implications for counselors are discussed.

• TF-CBT
• PTSD
• depression
• research

Notes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Stephen Lenz

A. Stephen Lenz, PhD, LPC (TX), LPC-MHSP (TN), is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University—Corpus Christi. Dr. Lenz has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families in community-based, private practice, and university counseling settings. His research interests include community-based program evaluation, counseling outcome research, single-case research, instrument development, and holistic approaches to counseling, counselor education, and supervision.

K. Michelle Hollenbaugh

K. Michelle Hollenbaugh, PhD, LPC-S, is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University—Corpus Christi. Her research interests include dialectical behavior therapy, assessment, counselor education pedagogy, & evidenced based interventions in counseling.