Effect Study of SMART Treatment for Youth

Specialized mental health services often fall short in adequate treatment of youth with developmental trauma histories. These youth are often difficult to treat due to composite mental and somatic problems. A promising treatment model for the group is the SMART approach, which utilizes sensory motor therapeutic equipment in a specialized room to support youths' natural ways of regulating bodies and emotions. This may facilitate therapeutic bond, improve regulation of arousal, and facilitate a more effective processing of trauma. The study will test the effectiveness of SMART treatment for young people 7-17 years old with developmental trauma and self-regulation difficulties in a two-group RCT. The investigators hypothesize that the SMART approach is more effective than ordinary treatment for an array of outcome measures, including regulatory capacities, attention and behavior; trauma symptoms; and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The study also will explore if therapeutic alliance mediates treatment effects and heterogeneity of treatment effects (moderator analyses). The study will include 120 children/ adolescents with developmental trauma exposure and difficulties in self-regulatory capacities from four units at dpt. of child and adolescent mental health, Vestre Viken, randomized to SMART or ordinary treatment. This first RCT of SMART for youth has the potential to test whether the model should be adopted as standard treatment for youth in the target group in Norway and internationally.

Inclusion criteria

These are based on the Developmental Trauma Disorder Semistructured Interview (DTD-SI), which has four domains (A-D). Based on the DTD-SI, which is detailed below, inclusion requires:

• The presence of developmental trauma history (domain A)
• One symptom in each of the domains B-D
• At least four symptoms (of a maximum 15) in domains B-D considered together

Domains A to D above refers to the following:

• Domain A. Lifetime contemporaneous exposure to developmental trauma, defined as either (i) Interpersonal victimization: physical or sexual abuse or assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, bullying, harassment, exploitation, trafficking, hate crimes, or racial/ethnic/identity trauma, or (ii) Primary caregiving system attachment disruption: caregiver change or prolonged separation, gross neglect (physical, medical, emotional), psychological maltreatment (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, parental hostility or over-controlling), caregiver impairment due to mental illness or substance abuse, or chronic medical condition (by child or caregiver)
• Domain B. Affective and somatic dysregulation: (i) Emotion dysregulation, (ii) Somatic dysregulation, (iii) Impaired awareness or dissociation of emotions and body, (iv) Impaired capacity to describe emotions or bodily states
• Domain C. Attentional and behavioral dysregulation: (i) Threat-related rumination, (ii) Impaired capacity for self protection, (iii) Maladaptive self-soothing, (iv) Habitual or reactive self-harm, (v) Inability to initiate or sustain goal-directed behavior
• Domain D. Self and relational dysregulation: (i) Persistent extreme negative self-perception, (ii) attachment insecurity and disorganization, (iii) Extreme persistent distrust, defiance or lack of reciprocity in close relationships, (iv) Reactive physical or verbal aggression, (v) Psychological boundary deficits, (vi) Impaired capacity to regulate empathic arousal

Exclusion criteria

• Active psychosis
• Not fluent in Norwegian language
• Developmental challenges - IQ < 70
• Has previously used SMART room