Clinician-Assisted Video Feedback Exposure-Approach Therapy (CAVEAT): An Open-Trial of a Brief Psychotherapy for Traumatized Mothers and Their Young Children

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility of a brief psychotherapy called Clinician-Assisted Videofeedback Exposure Approach Therapy (CAVEAT) for mothers experiencing interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their very young children aged 1 to 3 years. This open clinical trial aims to pilot the intervention along with pre- and post-intervention measures over a 2-year period with up to 10 mother-child pairs referred to an academic medical center ambulatory care setting. The therapy is based on research showing psychobiological dysregulation in traumatized mothers and its impact on early mother-child relationships. The CAVEAT intervention is a manualized brief psychotherapy divided into four modules, including evaluation and diagnosis, differentiation between past and present relationships, and further therapeutic components. The treatment is delivered to mothers and their young children to help improve maternal perceptions, sensitivity, and reflective functioning. This study involves one experimental group receiving the CAVEAT therapy. Participants will be assessed before and after the intervention using tools such as the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, Maternal Attributions Rating Scale, and the Brief Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment within six weeks of the last session. Additional measures include intervention satisfaction questionnaires. Mothers and children will be monitored for changes in stress, maternal perceptions, and child social-emotional symptoms during the trial, which runs until July 2026.

CAVEAT: An Open-Trial Feasibility Study