TARGET Research Summary

A randomized effectiveness study was conducted comparing 9-session TARGET groups versus trauma-informed substance abuse groups (TSU) in three adult substance abuse treatment programs. TARGET was superior to TSU in maintaining self-efficacy related to sobriety.

A three-year randomized clinical trial study funded by the Department of Justice of TARGET delivered as a 12-session individual therapy for PTSD was conducted with 147 low-income urban mothers. Findings are under review for publication and were presented at the Annual Conventions of the American Psychological Associations and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in 2007. TARGET was superior to a comparison social problem solving therapy (Present Centered Therapy; PCT) on improved emotion regulation and post-traumatic beliefs at posttest and follow-up, and led to additional improvements in dissociation and affectively-modulated coping and relational involvement.

A three-year randomized clinical trial study funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs of TARGET delivered as a 12-session individual therapy for PTSD compared to a relational therapy (Enhanced Treatment as Usual, ETAU) with 61 girls involved in delinquency was completed in Fall 2008. TARGET was associated with greater improvement than ETAU on PTSD symptoms and remission from PTSD (77% versus 53%) at the conclusion of therapy.

A two-year field trial funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs of TARGET delivered as a group and milieu intervention in every Juvenile Detention Center in Connecticut will be completed in Fall 2008.  Juvenile Justice data and admission/discharge questionnaire data are being collected in this quasi-experimental study of the impact of the sequential introduction of TARGET into mixed-gender and gender-specific (girls only) detention centers.