Study Finds Psychotherapy for PTSD in Children and Adolescents Has Rare Side Effects
An international research team, led by Dr. Thole H. Hoppen and Professor Nexhmedin Morina from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Münster, conducted the first meta-analysis of its kind on the potential risks of psychotherapeutic treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, evaluated 71 studies and data from over 5,600 children and adolescents. Their clear conclusion is that unwanted side effects of psychotherapy for PTSD in this demographic are rare. Less than 0.01% of children and adolescents reported symptom deterioration after treatment, and adverse events during psychological treatments occurred in only 0.29% of patients. This research addresses a long-standing gap in the understanding of psychotherapy's safety profile, which has often been overlooked compared to medication side effects. 
