Posttraumatic stress disorder in youth: A critical review of the cognitive and behavioral treatment outcome literature

What treatments work for children who have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Perhaps more important, what else do clinicians need to learn? In this article, the authors focus on treatment research in the area of trauma and PTSD in youth, in an attempt to highlight the clinical implications of such work and to identify the areas in which additional research is needed. Overall, there is emerging evidence that a variety of cognitive and behavioral programs are effective in treating youth with PTSD. In spite of such evidence, additional research is needed to share up the scientific base for effective clinical practice with these youth. Psychologists working with traumatized youth will find this article a useful update on the state of evidence for cognitive-behavioral interventions in the treatment of PTSD.