Individual psychological interventions and therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic stress symptoms in young children: a systematic review

Context: Treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in young children (ages 0-6) should be adapted to their developmental characteristics: to their cognitive, social, and emotional abilities, to their specific trauma reactions and adjustments, and finally, to their degree of dependency on adults. Due to the lack of official recommendations for the treatment of PTSD in young children and considering the high prevalence of PTSD among this population, there is a growing need for targeted psychological interventions and psychotherapies for the youngest children with PTSD or posttraumatic symptoms.Objective: To provide an update on effective psychological interventions available for the treatment of PTSD and posttraumatic symptoms in young children (under the age of 6).Design: Systematic review of automated searches conducted using the search engines Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsycInfo, and PubMed.Results: This review identified 17 articles reporting on the efficacy of an individual therapy for treating PTSD or posttraumatic stress symptoms in young children. The therapies identified are TF-CBT, CPP, PCIT, DET, early pathway, EMI and EMDR.Conclusion: No treatment can currently be identified as a level-one evidence-based treatment (Well-Established Treatment) in children younger than 6 years old with PTSD or posttraumatic symptoms. Further research is essential to validate existing findings on the effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies in young children in order to establish internationally recognized recommendations. Contexto: Los tratamientos para el trastorno de estr & eacute;s postraum & aacute;tico (TEPT) en ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os (de 0 a 6 a & ntilde;os) deben adaptarse a sus caracter & iacute;sticas de desarrollo: a sus capacidades cognitivas, sociales y emocionales, a sus reacciones y ajustes espec & iacute;ficos al trauma y, por & uacute;ltimo, a su grado de dependencia de los adultos. Debido a la falta de recomendaciones oficiales para el tratamiento del TEPT en ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os y considerando la alta prevalencia del TEPT entre esta poblaci & oacute;n, existe una creciente necesidad de intervenciones psicol & oacute;gicas y psicoterapias dirigidas a los ni & ntilde;os m & aacute;s peque & ntilde;os con TEPT o s & iacute;ntomas postraum & aacute;ticos.Objetivo: Proporcionar una actualizaci & oacute;n sobre las intervenciones psicol & oacute;gicas efectivas disponibles para el tratamiento del TEPT y los s & iacute;ntomas postraum & aacute;ticos en ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os (menores de 6 a & ntilde;os).Dise & ntilde;o: Revisi & oacute;n sistem & aacute;tica de b & uacute;squedas automatizadas realizadas utilizando los motores de b & uacute;squeda Google Scholar, Science Direct, PsycInfo y PubMed.Resultados: Esta revisi & oacute;n identific & oacute; 17 art & iacute;culos que informaban sobre la eficacia de una terapia individual para tratar el TEPT o los s & iacute;ntomas de estr & eacute;s postraum & aacute;tico en ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os. Las terapias identificadas son TF-CBT, CPP, PCIT, DET, v & iacute;a temprana, EMI y EMDR.Conclusi & oacute;n: Actualmente, no se puede identificar ning & uacute;n tratamiento basado en evidencia de nivel uno (tratamiento bien establecido) en ni & ntilde;os menores de 6 a & ntilde;os con TEPT o s & iacute;ntomas postraum & aacute;ticos. Es esencial realizar m & aacute;s investigaciones para validar los hallazgos existentes sobre la eficacia de las terapias centradas en el trauma en ni & ntilde;os peque & ntilde;os a fin de establecer recomendaciones reconocidas internacionalmente.