Parent-led, therapist-assisted, first-line treatment for young children after trauma: a case study.

Due to the prevalence of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder and barriers to treatment, novel service delivery approaches such as parent-led, therapist-assisted, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (PTA-TF-CBT) within a stepped care model are needed. This case study presents the treatment of a 4-year-old boy with posttraumatic stress symptoms whose parent led the treatment with therapist assistance and empirically supported materials. Findings from this case study indicated that: (a) PTA-TF-CBT was an acceptable and satisfactory treatment to the parent, (b) therapist time delivering the treatment was limited thereby conserving resources, and (c) clinically significant improvements in child and parent distress were reported posttreatment and at 5 weeks follow-up. Additional research on the feasibility and efficacy of PTA-TF-CBT within a stepped care model is warranted.