Trauma-exposed youth often face months-long waits before beginning comprehensive trauma-focused therapy, leaving them without structured support during a critical period of need. During these waiting periods, symptoms such as avoidance, anxiety, and hyperarousal may worsen, and many young people lose motivation or confidence to begin care. Brief, single-session interventions (SSIs) have emerged as a promising approach to strengthen coping and treatment engagement among youth unable or unwilling to access longer-term therapy.
The Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT)-Informed Single Session Intervention (CISS) is a 90-minute, structured, one-on-one session derived from the evidence-based Cue-Centered Therapy model developed at Stanford University's Early Life Stress and Resilience Program. CISS distills key CCT components-psychoeducation about trauma cues, development of insight into avoidance patterns, and flexible coping skill practice-into a single, accessible format designed to serve as a "bridge-to-care" for youth awaiting therapy.
This pilot feasibility trial will evaluate whether CISS can be feasibly and safely delivered to adolescents (ages 13-18) who have been exposed to trauma and are currently on Hapai Ora waitlists in New Zealand. The study is a collaboration between Stanford University and the University of Auckland.
Primary objectives:
- Assess the feasibility and acceptability of CISS delivery within routine Hapai Ora workflows.
- Examine pre- to post-intervention changes in coping self-efficacy, treatment readiness, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD symptoms).
- Explore treatment uptake and engagement in full-length trauma therapy following participation.
Approximately 30-40 adolescents will be recruited through collaborating Hapai Ora sites. After informed consent or assent, participants will complete baseline questionnaires, attend a single 90-minute CISS session with a trained clinician, and complete post-session, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up assessments. All measures are brief, self-reported, and non-invasive. Core instruments include:
- Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8): measuring posttraumatic stress symptom severity (primary PTSD outcome)
- Motivation for Youth Treatment Scale - Readiness Subscale (MYTS-R): measuring treatment readiness
-.Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire - Youth, Trauma-Focused (CEQ-Y-TF): measuring perceived credibility and expectancy of benefit
- General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ): measuring coping self-efficacy and help-seeking intentions
The study uses a single-group, pre-post feasibility design. Sessions are delivered by licensed Hapai Oraclinicians (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, or social workers) trained in CISS through Stanford- and Auckland-led workshops. Fidelity is monitored through checklists and optional video review for supervision. Data will be stored securely on Stanford Medicine's Qualtrics and Box servers, with all identifiable information removed prior to analysis.
Risks are minimal and limited to temporary emotional discomfort when discussing past trauma. All clinicians follow standard crisis-management and child-safety procedures, and participants have access to ongoing clinical support through Hapai Ora. No invasive procedures or medications are involved.
The anticipated study duration is from December 2025 to November 2028. Primary data collection (including 6-month follow-ups) is expected to conclude by May 2028. Findings will inform the design of a larger randomized controlled trial and contribute to international efforts to improve early trauma intervention accessibility within youth mental-health systems.
