Abuse-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children Who Have Been Physically Abused
Condition: Child Abuse
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1

Summary: 
      This study will determine the effectiveness of abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
      that is provided by a community health clinic in addressing the behavioral and emotional
      health needs of children and adolescents whose parents have used physical disciplinary
      action.
    

Detailed description: 
      Child physical abuse is a common public health problem that has been associated with
      significant psychosocial and physical health problems among children. Abuse-focused
      cognitive-behavioral therapy (AF-CBT) has been identified as an effective treatment strategy
      for dealing with child physical abuse. The main component of AF-CBT, cognitive behavioral
      therapy (CBT), is a type of psychotherapy in which everyday thoughts and behaviors are
      modified to improve mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety. AF-CBT uses CBT
      techniques to specifically focus on improving the mental health problems associated with
      physical abuse. In this study, AF-CBT will incorporate individual and family CBT and will be
      adapted by community practitioners to maximize its effectiveness in a community health care
      setting. This study will determine the effectiveness of AF-CBT, provided by a community
      health clinic, in addressing the behavioral and emotional health needs of children and
      adolescents whose parents have used physical disciplinary action.

      Participants in this study will include practitioners, their supervisors, and their patients.
      Practitioners will be randomly assigned to provide either treatment as usual (TAU) or the
      AF-CBT intervention for 3 to 6 months. Patient participants will continue to see their
      regular practitioner, but will receive the type of treatment to which their practitioner has
      been assigned. Practitioners who are assigned to TAU will continue to attend training
      workshops or seminars as a part of their clinics' routine policies and their current personal
      practices. Practitioners who are assigned to AF-CBT will first receive training in the
      treatment method. The training curriculum will include a published treatment book, intensive
      training sessions, which will occur weekly for 8 hours over 4 weeks, handouts that illustrate
      key therapeutic information and exercises, and ongoing case consultation reviews for 5
      months.

      Parent and child participants will meet with practitioners at times to be decided based on
      individual patient needs. All parents and children will be asked to participate in interviews
      to assess symptoms and outcomes before attending any treatment sessions with the
      practitioner, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months,and 30 months after baseline. Parents and
      children will also complete questionnaires each time they meet with the practitioner. This
      study will also assess the ability of the practitioners and supervisors to carry out AF-CBT.
    

Intervention name(s): Abused-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (AF-CBT); Treatment as usual (TAU)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Practitioners will be randomly assigned to provide the AF-CBT treatment for 3 to 6 months. Patient participants will continue to see their regular practitioner, but will receive AF-CBT at treatment visits. Practitioners who are assigned to AF-CBT will first receive training in the treatment method. The training curriculum will include a published treatment book, intensive training sessions, which will occur weekly for 8 hours over 4 weeks, handouts that illustrate key therapeutic information and exercises, and ongoing case consultation reviews for 5 months.; This condition consists of those practitioners in each agency who will not receive study training in AF-CBT. These practitioners will simply provide services as available within their agencies.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Abuse Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Treatment Effectiveness Research; Treatment Dissemination