A Non-Inferiority Evaluation of Standard and Abbreviated Developmental Trauma and Adjustment Programming for Adopted and Foster Youth in Residential Care

ABSTRACT

Youth who are involved with the adoption and foster care systems report notable rates of complex trauma responses associated with their developmental experiences, which can have deleterious implications for well-being across the lifespan. We implemented a retrospective quasi-experimental non-inferiority evaluation design using a frequency matching approach to estimate the degree of differential treatment effects reported by youth who completed a Developmental Trauma and Attachment Program protocol in its standard (DTAP) or abbreviated (DTAP-A) format at a long-term residential care facility located in the Midwestern United States. Program completers were 28 youth (M_age = 12.39) who predominately identified as female (n  = 23, 82%) with Caucasian/White (n  = 12, 43%) or Multiracial (n  = 10, 35%) racial identities. Analyses of scores on the UCLA Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index and Behavior Assessment System for Children (3rd ed.) did not identify any statistical or practical significance between DTAP and DTAP-A program completers self-reported treatment gains. However, DTAP program completers tended to report clinically significant changes in posttraumatic stress disorder and personal adjustment to greater degrees when compared to those completing the DTAP-A protocol. Implications for increasing access, resource management, and supporting a continuum of care approach are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Trauma
• Attachment
• Residential
• Youth
• Children

Disclosure statement

At time of this program evaluation, Karen Buckwalter,Kelly Green and Debbie Reed were employees of the DTAPfacility.