Bringing What Works to Youth in Corrections: A Trauma Intervention

Bringing What Works to Youth in Prison: An Evidence-Based Trauma Intervention

Youth with mental illnesses are disproportionately represented in juvenile correctional facilities and limited evidence exists about effective treatments in this setting. This study will adapt Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), a treatment found to be efficacious in community settings, to the correctional setting and study the feasibility of its implementation. Conducted within Texas youth correctional facilities, the findings will be rapidly disseminated in the state. The goal is to enhance the TF-CBT approach to meet the unique needs of incarcerated youth and the correctional system, one of the priorities outlined in the National Institute of Mental Health Strategic Plan.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 57
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Brownwood, Texas, United States, 76804
      • Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Facility
    • Giddings, Texas, United States, 78942
      • Giddings State School
    • Mart, Texas, United States, 76664
      • McClennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 13 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Evidence of one or more significant traumatic life events

• Current diagnosis of one of the following:

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Dysthymia
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Social Phobia
  • Panic Disorder
• Trauma symptom severity scores of 25 or greater.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Expected release date or transfer date within 5 months from study enrollment date
• Current inclusion in the Sex Offender Treatment Program
• Intellectual Quotient (IQ) less than 70
• Current high risk of suicidality
• Current symptoms of active psychosis

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Trauma-Focused CBT; Adapted or modified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy	Behavioral: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Individual psychotherapeutic approach occurring once per week for 12 to 20 weeks
No Intervention: Wait list; Monitored while waiting for intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of change in UCLA PTSD Reaction Index (UCLA PTSD RI) Trauma Symptom Severity	Reduction in traumatic stress symptom severity	Participants will be assessed at baseline and every 2 weeks for an average of 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of change in Child Behavioral Checklist Youth Self-Report Total Score	Reduction in self-reported emotional and behavioral problem scores	Participants will be assessed at baseline and every 2 weeks for an average of 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
• Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Molly M Lopez, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): July 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): March 22, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 17, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 15, 2016
• Last Verified: March 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Social Phobia; Panic Disorder; Major Depressive Disorder; Dysthymia; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1R34MH095210-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)