Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Register here to gain access to SAGE's 500+ Journals Online

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Giannopoulou, I.
Right arrow Articles by Yule, W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Giannopoulou, I.
Right arrow Articles by Yule, W.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 11, No. 4, 543-553 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1359104506067876

Cognitive-behavioural Group Intervention for PTSD Symptoms in Children Following the Athens 1999 Earthquake: A Pilot Study

Ioanna Giannopoulou

NHS Community Mental Health Centre, Peristeri, Greece and Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

Anastasia Dikaiakou

NHS Community Mental Health Centre, Peristeri, Greece

William Yule

Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK

This study examined the effects of a short-term group cognitive-behavioural intervention in children who were experiencing PTSD symptoms following the Athens 1999 earthquake. Twenty children, aged 8-12 years, referred for treatment to a local child mental health team were assigned, depending on timing of referral to two groups - Group 1 ( N = 10), which started treatment 2 months after the earthquake and Group 2 ( N = 10), which started treatment at 4 months postearthquake. A statistically significant reduction in overall PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms across the three PTSD symptom clusters - intrusion, avoidance, and arousal - as well as in depressive symptoms was reported immediately after the intervention. The treatment also produced a statistically significant improvement in children’s psychosocial functioning. Further significant improvement was reported in children at an 18-month follow-up. Treatment gains were maintained at a 4-year follow-up. Despite several limitations to this study, short-term group CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy) was found to be a useful treatment approach, which can be offered in clinical settings, particularly if resources are limited.

Key Words: CBT • disaster • earthquake • group treatment • PTSD


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?