Stepping Together for Children After Trauma: Investigating Effectiveness of a Parent-led, Therapist Assisted Trauma Treatment in Norwegian Municipal Services (The NorStep Study)
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to learn about how to effectively help children (aged 7-12) who have developed moderate symptoms of posttraumatic stress after exposure to trauma, and prevent development of more severe problems. The main research questions are: * Will the parent-led, therapist assisted treatment Stepping Together for Children after Trauma (ST-CT) be more effective, compared to usual care, in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression and sleep disorders, and in improving daily functioning for children and their parents after trauma? * Is ST-CT implemented to the municipal first-line services cost-effective? * Will ST-CT prevent use of health care services and prescribed drugs in the long term? The children and their non-offending caregivers will be randomized to receive treatment with ST-CT or usual care, and symptoms and general functioning will be assessed at five time-points.
• Child is between 7-12 years
• Exposed to a potentially traumatizing event according to the DSM-5 A-criterion
• Has a minimum of 5 symptoms of post-traumatic stress (1 symptom must be re-experiencing or avoidance)
• ≥3 years at the time of the traumatic event to ensure an explicit memory of the event
• ≥1 month since the traumatic event, according to the diagnostic criteria for PTSD
• The child must confirm in a conversation alone with the therapist that they feel safe at home and together with the parent and that they are not exposed to ongoing trauma.