Prolonged Exposure Treatment for Children

Abstract

This chapter describes a treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using prolonged exposure (PE) therapy adapted for pediatric populations and presents some of the studies that show its efficacy within this population. The chapter provides a description of the adaptations made for children and adolescents who deal with symptoms of post-traumatic grief, as well as some cases in which the protocol was tailored for use in toddlers and their parents suffering for PTSD due to invasive medical procedures. In addition, clinical issues pertinent to this developmental period are discussed including assessing and treating parents who also suffer from PTSD and addressing comorbid symptoms and self-harm behaviors. Finally, some ideas for future research regarding factors that will reinforce the effectivity of PE are proposed.