The Preliminary Development and Validation of a Trauma-Related Safety-Seeking Behavior Measure for Youth: The Child Safety Behavior Scale (CSBS)

Characteristics of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in young people with PTSD following multiple trauma exposure

BACKGROUND

Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis. The objective of the present study was to investigate how trauma characteristics, comorbid psychopathology and cognitive and social factors experienced by children and adolescents with a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis following exposure to multiple traumatic events differs between those who meet the criteria for CPTSD and those who do not.

METHOD

The present research used baseline data from the DECRYPT trial (BMJ Open, 2021, 11, e047600). Participants (n = 120) were aged 8-17 years and had exposure to multiple traumas and a PTSD diagnosis. The data collected comprised self-report and parent/caregiver-report questionnaires and interviews. Three primary analyses were conducted, comparing number of trauma types, prevalence of sexual trauma and prevalence of intrafamilial abuse between the CPTSD and PTSD-only groups. A range of comorbid psychopathology and cognitive and social factors were compared between the groups in an exploratory secondary analysis. All analyses were preregistered.

RESULTS

The CPTSD group (n = 72, 60%) had a significantly higher frequency of sexual trauma than the PTSD-only group (n = 48, 40%). The groups did not significantly differ on number of trauma types or prevalence of intrafamilial abuse. From the secondary analysis, the CPTSD group were found to have significantly higher scores on measures of negative post-traumatic cognitions, depression and panic. These results were replicated in correlation analyses using a continuous measure of CPTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

A large proportion of youth exposed to multiple traumatic events met criteria for CPTSD. Sexual trauma appears to be related to CPTSD symptoms. Youth with CPTSD appear to have greater severity of comorbid depression and panic symptoms, as well as more negative post-traumatic cognitions. Further investigation could focus on the directionality and mechanisms for these associations.

The prevalence, latent structure and psychosocial and cognitive correlates of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in an adolescent community sample

Complex PTSD has received growing attention in recent years. However, the validity, prevalence and risk factors of this diagnosis remain unclear. This study examined PTSD presentations in adolescents using diagnostic criteria and latent class analysis (LCA). It then explored the role of demographics factors, trauma history factors, psychopathology factors and cognitive factors in predicting different PTSD presentations. A cross-sectional data comprising self-report measures of 342 community adolescents (12-15 years) were collected and analysed. 2.3 %, 5.6 % and 10 % of adolescents met the criteria for PTSD, CPTSD and disturbances in self-organisation (DSO) respectively. A three-class model (healthy class, CPTSD class and DSO class) were generated from LCA. Adolescents with CPTSD were most likely to be female and endorsed the most overall trauma types, interpersonal trauma types, depression, anxiety and maladaptive cognitive processes, followed by adolescents with DSO and subsequently healthy adolescents. CPTSD appeared to be a more common presentation than PTSD among community adolescents. The relatively high prevalence of DSO is noteworthy and suggests that DSO is not necessarily accompanied by PTSD. Given the strong associations between CPTSD and cognitive processes implicated in PTSD, CPTSD as a construct might be conceptually similar to PTSD.

DECRYPT trial: study protocol for a phase II randomised controlled trial of cognitive therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in youth exposed to multiple traumatic stressors

BACKGROUND

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a distressing and disabling condition that affects significant numbers of children and adolescents. Youth exposed to multiple traumas (eg, abuse, domestic violence) are at particular risk of developing PTSD. Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD), derived from adult work, is a theoretically informed, disorder-specific form of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy. While efficacious for child and adolescent single-event trauma samples, its effectiveness in routine settings with more complex, multiple trauma-exposed youth has not been established. The Delivery of Cognitive Therapy for Young People after Trauma randomised controlled trial (RCT) examines the effectiveness of CT-PTSD for treating PTSD following multiple trauma exposure in children and young people in comparison with treatment as usual (TAU).

METHODS/DESIGN

This protocol describes a two-arm, patient-level, single blind, superiority RCT comparing CT-PTSD (n=60) with TAU (n=60) in children and young people aged 8-17 years with a diagnosis of PTSD following multiple trauma exposure. The primary outcome is PTSD severity assessed using the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (8-item version) at post-treatment (ie, approximately 5 months post-randomisation). Secondary outcomes include structured interview assessment for PTSD, complex PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety, overall functioning and parent-rated mental health. Mid-treatment and 11-month and 29-month post-randomisation assessments will also be completed. Process-outcome evaluation will consider which mechanisms underpin or moderate recovery. Qualitative interviews with the young people, their families and their therapists will be undertaken. Cost-effectiveness of CT-PTSD relative to TAU will be also be assessed.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This trial protocol has been approved by a UK Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee (East of England-Cambridge South, 16/EE/0233). Findings will be disseminated broadly via peer-reviewed empirical journal articles, conference presentations and clinical workshops.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN12077707. Registered 24 October 2016 (http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12077707). Trial recruitment commenced on 1 February 2017. It is anticipated that recruitment will continue until June 2021, with 11-month assessments being concluded in May 2022.

A Measure of Safety Behaviors for Use with Young People: Subtle Avoidance Measure for Youth

Objective: Safety behaviors have been found to undermine successful exposure in the treatment of anxiety disorders for both adults and children. Although reliable measures of safety behaviors have been developed for use with adults, no such measure has been developed specifically for pediatric populations. In light of this limitation, the current study aimed to develop and validate a measure of the use of safety behaviors suitable for children: The Subtle Avoidance Measure for Youth (SAMY).Methods: Clinical (n = 174) and community (n = 138) young people, aged 7-13 years, provided data.Results: Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor solution of the SAMY, which reflected checking behaviors, behaviors related to image management, and behaviors related to physical protection. The SAMY and its subscales demonstrated strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and the ability to discriminate between clinical and community participants.Conclusions: Given its solid psychometric properties, the SAMY will prove useful for both research and clinical work with anxious young people.