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Integrating Animal-Assisted Therapy Into Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Maltreated Youth

NCT03135119 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 33

Last updated 2022-05-18

Study results available
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Summary

This study will examine the incremental benefit of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an adjunct intervention when combined with Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for the treatment of maltreated youth. In addition, the development of therapeutic rapport and the intensity of stress experienced during treatment sessions will be examined as mediational mechanisms of treatment outcome. This project will help determine whether a larger study to test the beneficial effects of AAT for maltreated youth is feasible and warranted.

Conditions

  • Child Abuse
  • Posttraumatic Stress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

TF-CBT

TF-CBT is typically described as including 3 phases, each focusing on a common goal and encompassing a third of treatment (4 sessions). The first phase focuses on skills-building and includes psychoeducation, parenting skills training, relaxation skills training, affect modulation skills training, and cognitive coping skills training. The second phase involves focused gradual exposure activities, including construction of a narrative account of the child's maltreatment experiences and cognitive processing of maladaptive thoughts. The third phase emphasizes the child's mastery over environmental reminders of the maltreatment and includes sharing the trauma narrative with the caregiver, in vivo exposure to physical stimuli, and enhancing future development.

BEHAVIORAL

TF-CBT+AAT

TF-CBT, as described in the other arm, with animal-assisted therapy as an adjunct intervention. During the administration of TF-CBT, a certified service dog will be in the room and the participant may elect to interact with the dog as various points throughout the sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

    collaborator NIH

  • Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Brian Allen · Penn State College of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
6 Years
Max Age
17 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2017-11-15
Primary Completion
2020-03-18
Completion
2020-03-18

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03135119 on ClinicalTrials.gov