Redesigning trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for use in schools
Official title: Systematic Redesign of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to Enhance Usability, Engagement, Appropriateness, and Impact in Schools
Run by University of Washington · NCT06941428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a school-adapted version of TF-CBT is easier for school mental health providers to use and works as well as standard TF-CBT for students with trauma symptoms.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 7 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 102 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Washington Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Seattle, Washington) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 22, 2025 |
| Main results expected | March 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | March 1, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | February 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06941428 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are school-attending youth aged 7–19 who have experienced trauma, show elevated post-traumatic stress symptoms, and receive school-based mental health services.
✕Probably not a fit
Students without trauma exposure or clinically elevated PTSD symptoms, non–English speakers, and those who do not receive services on school grounds are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Investigators will compare a locally redesigned, school-adapted TF-CBT (S-TF) to the original TF-CBT on usability, engagement, and appropriateness for school settings while keeping training and implementation supports constant. They will measure implementation outcomes (adoption, fidelity, adaptations, reach) among school-based providers and evaluate mechanisms (trauma cognitions, emotion regulation, avoidance) and student mental health outcomes. The trial includes a design/build phase with providers and students giving input followed by a test phase enrolling providers without prior TF-CBT training and students aged 7–19 with trauma exposure and elevated PTSD symptoms. The analysis includes noninferiority testing to confirm that the adapted intervention preserves core clinical effects while improving implementation metrics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the school-adapted TF-CBT could make trauma treatment easier to deliver in schools and reach more students without reducing symptom improvement.
How similar studies have gone: Standard TF-CBT has strong evidence for treating youth trauma, but formal, systematic adaptations for school settings have been less studied and remain preliminary.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
INCLUSION CRITERIA Discover, Design/Build Phase: * Providers. Providers will be included if they (a) deliver mental health treatment on school grounds; (b) English speaking. * Students. Youth participants will meet eligibility criteria for this study, including (a) be within the TF-CBT developmental range, ages 7-19; (b) are receiving, or have previously received, school mental health services; and (c) are English speaking. Test Phase: * Providers. Providers will be included if they (a) deliver mental health treatment on school grounds; (b) have not previously received formal training in TF-CBT; and (c) are English speaking * Students. Youth participants will meet eligibility criteria for this study, including (a) be within the TF-CBT developmental range, ages 7-19; (b) have traumatic event exposure (e.g., exposure to violence); (c) demonstrate significant post-traumatic stress symptoms (have a trauma history as defined as a score \>31 on the Child PTSD Symptoms Scale for DSM-V \[CPSS-V\]); and (d) are English speaking. EXCLUSION CRITERIA Discover, Design/Build Phase: \- Students with intellectual impairments documented in education or mental health records. Test Phase: * Providers. Providers will be excluded if they participated in the redesign process for TF-CBT. * Students. Students will be excluded if they (a) have intellectual impairments documented in education or mental health records and (2) are not trauma exposed.
Where it's running
-
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Aaron Lyon, PhD — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Katie Osterhage
- Email: katieost@uw.edu
- Phone: 206-543-3350
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.