Addressing grief reactions among incarcerated adolescents and young adults using trauma and grief component therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether male adolescents incarcerated in a juvenile justice facility would participate in and benefit from a grief-focused, evidence-based group treatment program. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of evidence-based, grief focused treatments for incarcerated adolescents, although these youths are reported to experience higher rates of bereavement than those in the general population. METHOD: Between 2015 and 2020, 63 male adolescents incarcerated at a secure correctional facility in the midwestern United States received group treatment for symptoms of maladaptive grief using an evidenced-based intervention called Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCTA; Saltzman et al., 2017). Data collection before and after treatment included a brief screening measure, demographic information on each youth, and the Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) Checklist, scored according to multidimensional grief theory (Layne et al., 2017). RESULTS: Mean PCBD grief domain scores decreased significantly for separation distress and circumstance-related distress from baseline to after TGCTA (Layne et al., 2014) group participation. After group completion, the association between PCBD grief symptoms and functional impairment was unchanged in the family domain, decreased in the school domain, and increased in the peers/friends domain. In the 5- to 15-week period after the group versus the 5- to 15-week period before the group, there was a 50% reduction in the number of behavioral incident reports involving TGCTA group participants, while 63 matched control participants had no change in behavioral incident reports. CONCLUSION: Study findings demonstrate the feasibility of treating maladaptive grief with youths in the juvenile justice system and provide preliminary evidence that grief-focused treatment may reduce maladaptive grief symptoms and improve behavioral functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementing Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents and Think Trauma for Traumatized Youth in Secure Juvenile Justice Settings.

We describe a multiyear pilot dissemination of a trauma-focused group treatment, Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents, coupled with a trauma-informed staff training, Think Trauma, to six residential juvenile justice (JJ) facilities. All staff members were trained in Think Trauma. Seventy-seven youth from four facilities completed the treatment groups and 69 completed all pre- and postgroup assessment measures. The aims of this study were to determine whether trauma-focused interventions (a) could be implemented in complex JJ systems, (b) would be associated with a decrease in posttraumatic symptoms and reactions in youth, and (c) might contribute to reduced Incident Reports in facilities. A related question was whether we would receive feedback that youth who participated in the trauma and/or grief narrative components of the intervention were adversely affected. Pre- and postgroup assessments indicated significant reductions in symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anger, but not in anxiety or sexual concerns. There were significantly greater reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among incarcerated youth who completed all modules of the group treatment intervention relative to incarcerated youth who received an abbreviated version. Two of the facilities tracked their Incident Reports and reported reductions. No Incident Reports or therapist feedback documented that the trauma/grief processing components of the intervention were destabilizing to the youth.

Commentary About Cheit's Witch-Hunt Narrative: The Historical Context.

Ross Cheit's lengthy study is strongest when he describes in detail the findings of his 13 years of research into the original records of the key "witch hunt" cases of the 1980s to set the record straight, when possible, about what really happened. However, because this was partial history that focused primarily on the interplay between academic psychology and the media in a limited number of cases, a commentary about the broader historical and institutional context may lead to a more optimistic conclusion than Cheit seems to reach. Since this latest discovery of child sexual abuse (and its partial suppression with the rapid and predictable construction of the witch-hunt narrative), professionals across a range of disciplines continue to refine statistical science to document the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse. They continue to enhance our understanding about children's memory and suggestibility. They have steadily refined methods to elicit full and accurate information from alleged child victims, created child advocacy centers with multidisciplinary teams to handle cases skillfully, and have developed evidence-based assessment tools and treatment protocols for substantiated victims. This solid and continuing academic output, coupled with nationwide institutionalization of the childhood trauma and maltreatment fields in organizations such as the National Child Advocacy Center, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network make this rediscovery of child sexual abuse different from the many other discoveries and suppressions that preceded it.

Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE): An evidence-informed program for children with a history of trauma and other behavioral challenges.

Child maltreatment impacts approximately two million children each year, with physical abuse and neglect the most common form of maltreatment. These children are at risk for mental and physical health concerns and the ability to form positive social relationships is also adversely affected. Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE) is a set of skills designed to improve interactions of any adult and child or adolescent. Based on parent training programs, including the strong evidence-based treatment, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), CARE was initially developed to fill an important gap in mental health services for children of any age who are considered at-risk for maltreatment or other problems. CARE subsequently has been extended for use by adults who interact with children and youth outside of existing mental health therapeutic services as well as to compliment other services the child or adolescent may be receiving. Developed through discussions with Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapists and requests for a training similar to PCIT for the non-mental health professional, CARE is not therapy, but is comprised of a set of skills that can support other services provided to families. Since 2006, over 2000 caregivers, mental health, child welfare, educators, and other professionals have received CARE training with a focus on children who are exposed to trauma and maltreatment. This article presents implementation successes and challenges of a trauma-informed training designed to help adults connect and enhance their relationships with children considered at-risk.

A review and correction of the errors in Loftus and Guyer on Jane Doe.

There are so many errors among those facts that can be checked in the Loftus and Guyer articles under review that they cast doubt on the accuracy of the alleged facts in these articles that cannot be easily checked. Loftus's and Guyer's two articles, published in a newsstand magazine instead of a peer-reviewed journal, show a pattern of inaccuracy that casts doubt on their claims to have conducted a skeptical, objective inquiry. Some, but not all of these errors, were corrected in a 2009 article Geis and Loftus published in a peer-reviewed journal, although Loftus does not acknowledge in that article her earlier inaccuracies. This article corrects the record about the conclusions drawn in the Corwin and Olafson article published in 1997 and clarifies the history about Corwin's involvement in the Taus case.

A call for field-relevant research about child forensic interviewing for child protection.

This article reviews some sensitivity versus specificity imbalances in forensic investigations of child sexual abuse. It then proposes the development or further testing of additional approaches for those children who do not respond to the current, single-interview National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) protocol. Although there are other interview protocols based on similar principles, the NICHD protocol has the strongest evidence base in both field and laboratory studies to elicit detailed and accurate information from children. Adaptations of the NICHD protocol or additional approaches need to be developed and tested for nondisclosing, partially disclosing, or recanting children, very young children, children with developmental disabilities, and children whose sexual abuse allegations are evaluated in the context of custody or visitation disputes.