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Study Supports Use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Teens & Adolescents
By: Hugh C. McBride
Researchers who analyzed dozens of studies on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have concluded that the technique is an effective means of reducing symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in teenagers and adolescents who have experienced some type of trauma. These findings are consistent with previous research into the use of CBT with depressed teens.
“The good news is there is substantial research showing the effectiveness of group or individual cognitive behavioral therapy in treating children and teens experiencing the psychological effects of trauma,” the study’s co-author, Robert Hahn, Ph.D., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a Sept. 9 CDC news release. “We hope these findings will encourage clinicians to use the therapies that are shown to be effective.”
Hahn’s report, which appeared in the September edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is the latest in a series of studies that have documented the benefits of CBT in the treatment of young people. In addition to relieving current symptoms, CBT also appears to be an effective means of reducing the likelihood that a struggling young person will engage in additional dangerous behaviors later in life.
“Childhood trauma is a widespread problem with both short- and long-term consequences. Many kids with symptoms of trauma go undiagnosed, which can lead to unhealthy behaviors in adulthood such as smoking and alcohol or drug abuse,” Hahn said in the release.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy resulted from the merger of two distinct therapeutic approaches: behavioral therapy (which began to be practiced in the 1920s) and cognitive therapy (which came to prominence in the 1960s).
According to information provided on the website of the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists (NACBT), cognitive behavioral therapy is “a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do.”
The therapeutic association notes that CBT is not a distinct technique, but is instead “a very general term for a classification of therapies with similarities.” The NACBT lists the following among the primary factors that unite the various strands of CBT:
1. Philosophy of personal responsibility – The belief that a person’s feelings and behaviors result not from external influences (such as people and events), but rather from one’s own thoughts.
2. Focus on time limitations – The NACBT reports that CBT patients receive an average of 16 sessions, while the CDC indicates that between 8 and 12 sessions are usually called for.
3. Collaboration – The role of CBT therapists is to learn what their patients want out of life, and then help their clients achieve those goals.
4. A basis in the educational model – The objective of CBT isn’t to “just talk,” but rather to help patients recognize unhealthy thought patterns and learn new and more productive means of reacting to life events.
5. Structure and direction – CBT therapists teach patients how to think and behave in more acceptable and effective ways. As the NACBT website puts it, “CBT therapists do not tell their clients what to do – rather, they teach their clients how to do it.
How Effective Is CBT?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has reported that CBT has proved to be beneficial in the treatment of individuals who are struggling to overcome a wide range of conditions, including disorders related to mood, anxiety, personality, eating, and substance abuse. Studies have also found the technique to be as effective as medication in alleviating symptoms of depression, and CBT has been given high marks for its ability to preclude relapse among formerly depressed individuals.
Two years prior to the study that was led by Dr. Robert Hahn, another CDC analysis documented the degree to which CBT was effective in both individual and group settings. A Nov. 14, 2006 CDC document reported the following:
Individual CBT
* Of the 11 studies that qualified for inclusion in the review, all had effect measures in the desired direction for all outcomes (anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors).
* Applicability: The reviewed studies assessed the effects of individual CBT on traumatized children and adolescents of varying ages, geographic locations, and for varied traumas, such as physical abuse and sexual abuse.
Group CBT
* Of the eight studies that qualified for inclusion in the review, all had effect measures in the desired direction for the outcomes assessed (anxiety, depression, and PTSD).
* Applicability: The reviewed studies assessed the effects of group CBT on traumatized children and adolescents of varying ages, geographic locations, and traumatic exposures, including sexual abuse, witnessing community violence, natural disasters, and bereavement for loss of a close family member.
Helping Troubled Teens
If your child is struggling to overcome an emotional or behavioral disorder, finding a program that incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy may be an essential step in healing your family.
The Aspen Education Group, which is the nation’s leading provider of education programs for struggling or underachieving young people, incorporates CBT in a number of the programs that comprise its renowned network of therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, and weight loss programs.
For more information about the Aspen Education Group, visit the organization’s website at www.aspeneducation.com.
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