1. Introduction
trauma, traumatic, ORI, PTSD, psychotic symptoms, aggressive and impulsive behavior
MAY, EVENTS, TRAUMATIC EVENT
Symptoms resulting from childhood trauma can negatively impact socioemotional well-being and school performance during early adolescence unless positive changes in attachment security and mental representations of significant relationships occur. A sample of 109 eighth grade urban students were randomly assigned to one of two weekly, one-hour, school-based group interventions—Storytelling/Story-Acting for Adolescents (STSA-A) or Mentalization-Based Treatment Group Intervention (MBT-G). The Object Relations Inventory (ORI), Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) and Child PSTD Stress Scale (CPSS) were administered to students and their primary group leaders at the beginning (October) and end (May) of the intervention protocol as outcome variables. Participants in both the STSA-A and MBT-G intervention conditions experienced significant increases in attachment security and decreases in trauma symptoms. Over the course of eight months of group intervention, affective valence of paternal mental representations significantly decreased for boys and for participants in the STSA-A condition, while affective valence of primary group leader mental representations significantly decreased for participants in the MBT-G condition. STSA-A and MBT-G were found to be efficacious at improving attachment security and reducing trauma symptoms in young adolescents. The strengths of each group intervention for addressing interpersonal issues unique to specific types of adolescents are discussed.It is estimated that 45% of US children experience at least one adverse childhood experience [Although some initiatives have been taken to develop resilience programs for those exposed to potentially traumatic events, there is still no agreement in the psychological community on the most effective way of preventing PTSD in people who have experienced trauma [It has been established that young adolescents with PTSD have an increased likelihood of displaying aggressive and impulsive behavior as well as ruminating on their trauma, leading to long-term psychological effects if not adequately addressed. Traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, and parental loss are associated with higher levels of psychotic symptoms and hospitalizations in later life relative to those who did not experience such situations [