Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Intervention on Trauma in Schools (CBITS), and Other Promising Practices in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents: Evidence Evaluation

PTSD is a serious mental health condition with a lifetime prevalence of 1% to 14% in the general population. Several studies have evaluated evidence-based treatment approaches for children and adolescents. Interventions focusing on trauma are considered first-line treatments. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and a similar type of group intervention, the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention on Trauma in Schools (CBITS), have received the most empirical support from randomized controlled trials. Moreover, several other promising therapeutic CBT protocols are in the process of being applied and evaluated. This literature review highlights the common elements of CBT approaches for treating PTSD in children and adolescents, provides a detailed review of the therapeutic ingredients of TF-CBT and CBITS, and presents various other promising CBT protocols that are currently being used or evaluated. Future directions for the field are also discussed.