Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42571020›Full record

ArticleChild and adolescent psychiatry and mental health2026

The role of intelligence in PTSD treatment outcomes: evidence from a multicenter TF-CBT trial with youth.

Sabrina Berardi, Hanna Christiansen, Sebastian Deutscher, David Daniel Ebert, Rebekka Eilers, Katharina Gossmann, Anne Grass, Lena Jaworski, Johanna Kneidinger, Rita Rosner and 3 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Sabrina BerardiDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Zentrum Für Psychotherapie (ZPT)/Center for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. berardi@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2407-6056
Hanna ChristiansenInstitute for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Deutsches Zentrum Für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG)/German Center for Mental Health, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8104-0711
Sebastian DeutscherDepartment of Sport and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
David Daniel EbertDepartment of Sport and Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6820-0146
Rebekka EilersDepartment of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4815-272X
Katharina GossmannDepartment of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0608-0534
Anne GrassDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Zentrum Für Psychotherapie (ZPT)/Center for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0183-5136
Lena JaworskiDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Zentrum Für Psychotherapie (ZPT)/Center for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8509-6113
Johanna KneidingerInstitute for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Deutsches Zentrum Für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG)/German Center for Mental Health, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9374-2917
Rita RosnerDepartment of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7960-8398
Katharina SzotaInstitute for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Deutsches Zentrum Für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG)/German Center for Mental Health, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9042-8729
Anna-Carlotta ZarskiDivision of eHealth in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0517-6668
Regina SteilDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Zentrum Für Psychotherapie (ZPT)/Center for Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5367-5664

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCognitive ability has been linked to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability and may influence trauma-focused treatment response, yet its role in youth Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) outcomes remains unclear. Clarifying this issue is relevant for equitable access to evidence-based care. We examined whether formally assessed IQ was associated with PTSD symptom change from pre- to post-treatment based on youth and caregiver reports and with treatment dropout in children and adolescents undergoing TF-CBT after abuse or neglect.

methodData came from N = 320 youth aged 5-21 years from a randomized clinical effectiveness trial. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed with standardized tests, PTSD symptoms with the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS-2), and dropout was defined as not completing therapy as intended. Symptom change was calculated as post- (T1) minus pre-treatment (T0) and evaluated separately for youth and caregiver reports. Regression models included age, gender, baseline PTSD severity, and treatment satisfaction assessed after treatment as an additional model variable.

resultsMean IQ was M = 97.41 (SD = 13.19, range = 51-138). PTSD severity was high at baseline (M = 34.21, SD = 8.09) and decreased substantially (ΔCATS-2 DISCUSSION: TF-CBT was associated with substantial symptom reductions across the observed IQ range, suggesting its suitability for routine care without excluding youth solely on the basis of cognitive ability. Baseline severity and treatment satisfaction at post-treatment showed stronger associations with symptom change and dropout than IQ. Trial registration The BESTFORCAN study was registered in the German Clinical Trial Registry (DRKS00020516) on 12 February 2020.

Indexed as

DropoutIntelligencePosttraumatic stress disorderTherapy outcomeTrauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy

Identifiers

PMID42571020
PMCPMC13453091

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.