Treatment outcome research: How effective are treatments for abused children?

The effectiveness of treatments with abused children is supported by only a limited number of studies. Yet despite the lack of an empirical base, many interventions remain popular in clinical practice. This paper introduces social work clinicians to the primary issues involved in the evaluation of psychotherapy with children and adolescents in general, and applies these issues to an understanding of interventions with abused children. Toward this end, current findings on child abuse treatments are synthesized and critically analyzed. This paper speaks to the continuing gap between empirically-based outcome research and clinical practice.