Evidence-based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (EPCAMH) is now accepting papers for a special issue on the implementation of trauma-informed interventions for complex clinical cases, guest edited by Brian Allen, Psy.D., Chad E. Shenk, Ph.D., and Kate L. Senich, Ph.D. Submission are due May 1, 2026.
Children and adolescents presenting with complex mental health needs often have a history of exposure to traumatic events (e.g., child abuse, inter-partner violence, war, community violence). In recent years, attention has focused on employing the current empirical research on trauma and its impact on child development to more effectively deliver psychotherapeutic interventions (i.e., trauma-informed).
This special issue focuses on demonstrating the clinical applicability of these scientific advancements by highlighting the various avenues through which clinical interventions for children and adolescents can be “trauma-informed” in their delivery. Papers may focus on a wide range of relevant clinical and research issues including, but not limited to:
- Descriptions of adaptations of previously tested and supported interventions for various mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, disruptive behavior problems) when applied with children and adolescents affected by trauma.
- Tests of the efficacy, effectiveness, and/or implementation of trauma-informed interventions for trauma-exposed children and adolescents
- Development and evaluation of trauma-informed systems or community-level approaches to improve mental health outcomes
- Identification of moderating factors of intervention efficacy or effectiveness that are related to trauma specificity and complexity, such as developmental timing, chronicity, or subtype of trauma
- Examinations of new or existing approaches to addressing complex traumatic presentations (e.g., chronic PTSD, comorbid conditions)
- Specification of how existing evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions can be implemented in complex circumstances (e.g., high-conflict divorce, resource-limited settings)
We welcome papers utilizing diverse forms of methodology including, but not limited to, well-conducted randomized controlled trials, qualitative and mixed method investigations, program evaluations, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and series of case studies.
Authors should remember that EPCAMH is a practice-oriented journal and all submissions should be accessible and of clinical utility to practicing clinicians.
Papers that examine a specified intervention should provide an appropriate review of the literature to demonstrate the intervention’s status as an “evidence-based treatment.” It is recommended that authors consult www.effectivechildtherapy.org. Authors are also encouraged to adequately review the current scientific trauma-related literature used to justify the “trauma-informed” nature of the paper.
For questions, please email Brian Allen at ballen1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu