Citation

Peters W, Rice S, Cohen J, Smith NB, McDonnell CG, Winch A, Nicasio AV, Zeifman RJ, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Bendall S. Psychol. Trauma 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/tra0001289

PMID

35679213

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Elevations in distress, self-harm, and suicidal ideation or behavior are of significant concern in clinical practice. We examined these in a pilot trial of Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for transitional age youth (aged 15-25 years) with histories of interpersonal trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.

METHOD: Participants were 20 young people (13 females, M = 19.5 years) from a pilot study of TF-CBT. Frequencies of elevated distress, self-harm, and suicidal ideation or behavior were measured throughout treatment sessions and across the treatment phases of TF-CBT.

RESULTS: Across the 279 sessions of TF-CBT (m = 15.5 sessions), there were 16 incidents of elevated distress in seven participants (i.e., six in Phase I and five each in Phases II and III); 15 incidents of self-harming behavior in seven participants (five incidents in each of the three phases) and one incident of both elevated distress and suicide ideation (Phase I).

CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that there may be a relationship between the experience of in session distress and self-harming behaviors. The importance of safety planning and coping skills (acquired in Phase 1) is stressed to ensure the effective implementation of TF-CBT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en