A Comparison of Trauma-Focused Therapy and Executive-Function–Based Intervention on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Self-Harm Behaviors in Adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a trauma-focused intervention and an executive-function–based intervention in reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms and self-harm behaviors in adolescents. This randomized controlled trial included 45 adolescents assigned to a trauma-focused group, an executive-function group or a control group. Interventions were delivered across multiple weekly sessions, and assessments were conducted at pretest, posttest and five-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. Significant main effects of group, time and group × time interaction were observed for both variables (p < .001). Trauma-focused therapy produced the largest reduction in PTSD symptoms (between-group F = 34.58, η² = .62), whereas the executive-function intervention produced the greatest reduction in self-harm behaviors (between-group F = 29.47, η² = .58). Bonferroni tests confirmed that both interventions significantly outperformed the control group (p < .001). Trauma-focused therapy is the most effective intervention for reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms, whereas executive-function–based intervention yields stronger improvements in reducing self-harm behaviors. Integrating both approaches may offer a more comprehensive treatment pathway for trauma-exposed adolescents.