The acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy for Chinese children with posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The psychological need for traumatized children is huge in China. However, evidence-based treatments designed for Chinese children are scarce. This study aimed to test the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral program (Power up Children's Psychological Immunity; PCPI) in Chinese children.

Method: A total of 87 children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in grades 3 to 5 were randomly allocated (1:1) to the PCPI group or the treatment as usual (TAU) group. The feasibility was assessed by participant adherence, satisfaction, and acceptability. The severity of PTSD, depression and anxiety were assessed at pre- and posttreatment and the 3-month follow-up.

Results: A high level of satisfaction (81.82%) and retention rate of each session (more than 93.33%) were found. Qualitative feedback reported a high level of acceptance. At posttreatment, the PCPI group had lower mean scores than the TAU group for PTSD (adjusted mean difference [AMD], -6.18; 95% CI, -12.21 to -.14; = .048), and anxiety (AMD, -2.05; 95% CI, -3.81 to -.28; = .026). However, little change was found from posttreatment to 3-month follow-up.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that the school-based group PCPI intervention was feasible and acceptable. Further evaluation is needed to examine its effectiveness in a larger sample size. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).