"...found strong evidence supporting the use of individual and group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to reduce psychological harm among children and adolescents exposed to trauma.

CBT was effective in reducing depressive disorders, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other symptoms in these children.

It appears, however, that more than 75% of clinicians who treat children with PTSD use art, play, drug, or other therapies that lack sufficient proof of efficacy.

The population of kids exposed to trauma is large, and many practitioners are using interventions for which we have found insufficient evidence, and many are not using interventions.

Although some children appear to be unharmed or only transiently affected by traumatic exposure — which can range from sexual abuse to school shootings to natural disasters such as hurricanes — other untreated children might develop PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance-abuse problems, or even suicidal behavior.

Among children in the United States, children aged 2 to 17 years, 1 in 8 experienced maltreatment such as abuse, bullying, or neglect, and 1 in 12 experienced sexual abuse. Given the high rates of exposure to traumatic events and the potential for long-term consequences of untreated exposure, this review aimed to examine common interventions to determine which ones were effective, based on the best available evidence.

The studies presented strong evidence that both individual and group CBT is associated with decreases in psychological harm. On the other hand, the investigators found insufficient evidence of effectiveness and only a limited number of studies (1 to 4 each) for the other 5 therapies: play, art, psychodynamic therapies, pharmacologic therapies, and psychological debriefing." Am J Prev Med 2008; 35: 287-313.