Abstract
Across the scope of treatment for pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the limited research examining the efficacy of pharmacotherapy has focused on interventions within four classifications: second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and antiadrenergic medications. SSRIs function as the first line of pharmacological treatment for trauma-exposed adolescents due to their demonstrated effectiveness in the adult population, relative tolerability, minimal side effects, and broad application to a variety of mood and anxiety symptoms. While certain medications within the antipsychotic, antiadrenergic, and anticonvulsant classifications have demonstrated positive results in open-label trials (like prazosin, guanfacine, citalopram, carbamazepine, risperidone, quetiapine), these medications have yet to stand up to the rigors of randomly controlled trials and, as such, should be targeted for future exploration. Following a discussion on the theoretical and research underpinnings of therapies, the treatment of five case studies is discussed: PTSD and a comorbid condition, an atypical presentation, a treatment-resistant presentation, acute medication options for PTSD, and psychopharmacological side effects in a patient with PTSD.
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Huemer, J., Greenberg, M., Steiner, H. (2017). Pharmacological Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Trauma-Related Disorders. In: Landolt, M., Cloitre, M., Schnyder, U. (eds) Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma Related Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46138-0_18
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