Therapists’ Perceived Competence in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client Outcomes: Findings From a Community-Based Learning Collaborative

• Published in: Child maltreatment Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 455 - 465
• Main Authors: Espeleta, Hannah C., Peer, Samuel O., Are, Funlola, Hanson, Rochelle F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2022; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Behavior modification; Caregiver burden; Caregivers; Clinical outcomes; Cognition; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Cognitive Restructuring; Cognitive therapy; Cognitive-behavioral factors; Collaboration; Collaborative learning; Competence; Mental depression; Outcomes of Treatment; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Professional associations; Psychotherapy; Resistance (Psychology); Stress; Therapists; Training; Trauma; Traumatic life events; Treatment outcomes; Youth; competence; TF-CBT; community-based learning collaboratives; implementation
• ISSN: 1077-5595; 1552-6119
• DOI: 10.1177/10775595211003673

This study examined therapists’ perceived competence in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and its association with youth treatment outcomes (posttraumatic stress and depression). Participants included 99 community therapists enrolled in a TF-CBT-focused Learning Collaborative (LC), along with one of their randomly selected TF-CBT training cases. Analyzed data included: 1) caregiver/youth-reported posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms, pre- and post-treatment, and 2) therapist-perceived competence with TF-CBT components across treatment delivery. Youth- and caregiver-reports indicated large, significant pre- to post-treatment decreases in youth posttraumatic stress (ds = 1.10–1.30, ps < .001) and depressive symptoms (d = 1.01, p < .001). Higher therapist-perceived competence with TF-CBT predicted positive treatment responses for posttraumatic stress (ds = 0.38–0.39, ps = .03) and depression (d = 0.25), though only the former association was significant (ps = .03 vs. p = .15). Findings highlight the need to monitor and improve therapists’ competencies to enhance clinical outcomes for trauma-exposed youth and suggest that LCs may be an effective training/implementation model to help achieve those critical goals.