Parent-led treatment effective in helping children after trauma, according to study

Can parents provide meaningful therapy to their own child after a traumatic event? A new University of South Florida study suggests so. 
  
The research, led by Alison Salloum, PhD, LCSW, a professor in the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences’ School of Social Work, revealed that parent-led therapist-assisted treatment, which empowers a parent themselves to help their child, is effective for many families. 
  
Salloum and her colleagues developed the new approach, with parent-led treatment serving as the first step within a stepped care model, wherein the most effective yet least resource-intensive mental health treatment is delivered first. The first step of this program consists of three to five therapist-led sessions in conjunction with parent-child meetings at home, workbooks, a website with demonstrations of relaxation exercises, and weekly phone support.  
  
“There is an incredibly large unmet need for effective and less costly ways to deliver trauma-focused therapy to children” said Salloum. “Innovative delivery models are essential to addressing treatment barriers and providing alternative treatments that are accessible, efficient, affordable, and effective.” 
  
There can be many barriers to traditional therapeutic care after a child suffers a traumatic event, including cost, lack of specialized trauma therapists, wait lists, and access to transportation. Parent-led therapist-assisted treatment reduces many of these barriers. 
  
Salloum’s studies found that approximately 70% of children receiving parent-led treatment improved and did not need more intensive, therapist-led treatment. However, some parents with high parenting stress or children with high externalizing problems may need more sessions. Overall results from Salloum’s most recent study found that stepped care trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy was comparable to standard therapist-led trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, and costs were 38.4% lower than standard care, with recurring costs 54.7% lower.  
  
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01MH107522. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.