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Treatment of Complex Trauma on the Front Lines: A Preliminary Look at Child Outcomes in an Agency Sample

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Abstract

This study describes a one-group pretest posttest evaluation of an agency-based treatment for children who endured complex trauma, including chronic physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and witnessing domestic violence. Participants included 31 children who completed at least 3 months of treatment at a private, child welfare treatment clinic. Treatment was phase-oriented and idiographic, grounded in attachment-based, cognitive-behavioral, and creative arts approaches to complex trauma treatment, and incorporating research-supported interventions. Children completed the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children at pre- and post-treatment, and client change in symptoms was evaluated. Significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger, dissociation, and sexual concerns was found following treatment. Effect sizes were in the moderate to large range. Client demographic and clinical characteristics were not associated with symptom improvement. Though preliminary, due to the small sample size and lack of control group, results contribute to the growing body of knowledge on client outcomes in front line clinical settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA

    Sarah Dauber

  2. The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 161 William Street, New York, NY, 10038, USA

    Katheryn Lotsos & Mary L. Pulido

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  1. Sarah Dauber
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  2. Katheryn Lotsos
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  3. Mary L. Pulido
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Correspondence to Sarah Dauber.

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Dauber, S., Lotsos, K. & Pulido, M.L. Treatment of Complex Trauma on the Front Lines: A Preliminary Look at Child Outcomes in an Agency Sample. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 32, 529–543 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-015-0393-5

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