How our service can help you
Our service is for children and adolescents with difficulties arising from exposure to traumatic and severely stressful events.
We offer assessment and treatment to children and adolescents who experience severe and/or treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and unipolar depression. We also provide second opinion assessments for the diagnosis and treatment of complex trauma, anxiety and/or depression.
We deliver clinical training and offer clinical supervision to local teams and schools. We collaborate with the UK government and local commissioning groups to set up and manage public health initiatives related to disasters and emergencies.
We lead in research on ways of improving and disseminating evidence-based treatments for traumatised young people and their families. People seen in our clinic are often invited to participate in ongoing research projects.
We also provide training in the assessment and treatment of post-traumatic responses in young people and families.
- Service Borough Covers: National (Child and Adolescent services) Treatment type: Outpatient
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Contact the service
Site Location: Maudsley Hospital Known As: Trauma, Anxiety and Depression (TAD) Clinic Email: tad@slam.nhs.uk Phone Number: 020 3228 2657 -
Disabled Access:
- Wheelchair accessible building
- Ground floor therapy rooms
- Accessible toilets on all levels
- Lift access to the 1stfloor.
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Address:
Michael Rutter Centre
Maudsley Hospital
De Crespigny Park,London, SE5 8AZ - Business Hours/Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
- Conditions: Anxiety, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Depression, Obsessive, TAD. Trauma, Anxiety and Depression compulsive disorder (OCD), Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Other essential information
- Interventions
- Eligibility criteria
- Outcomes
- Care Options
- Teaching and Training
- Resources
- Our experts
Interventions
What we offer young people
Assessment and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and stress-related psychopathology
Our service is for young people with difficulties arising from exposure to traumatic and severely stressful events. This can include events such as:
- Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse
- Traumatic loss of family
- Violent crimes
- Traumatic events experienced by asylum seekers and refugees
- Emergencies and disasters
- Accidents and physical injuries
We offer specialist diagnostic assessments to identify broad post-traumatic stress reactions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex bereavement, anxiety disorders, depression, and other conditions. We offer evidence-based, NICE-recommended treatment for PTSD and related disorders, both for single-incident trauma and complex PTSD. We have several treatment packages available which will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual and their family. We also provide psychopharmacological treatment when indicated.
Assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders
We also work with young people with severe and/or treatment resistant anxiety disorders. This includes:
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias and agoraphobia
- Health anxiety
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Other worries or fears
- Panic disorder
- Selective mutism
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Body dysmorphic disorder
We offer expert diagnostic assessments and evidence-based, NICE-recommended treatments for anxiety disorders, including both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. We have several treatment packages available, which will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual and their family.
Assessment and treatment of depression
We offer expert diagnostic assessment and evidence-based, NICE-recommended treatments for young people with severe and/or treatment resistant unipolar depression, including both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. We have several treatment packages available, which will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual and their family.
Interventions
Our evidence-based interventions include:
- Comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment involving a structured diagnostic interview, problem formulation, and treatment recommendations
- Expert medico-legal assessments of post-traumatic reactions
- Individually tailored, specialist trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) for single-event or complex traumas, and intensive treatment where appropriate
- Narrative exposure therapy (NET)
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Individually tailored, specialist cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders using disorder-specific treatment approaches
- Family-focused CBT
- Individually tailored, specialist CBT for depression, with a large behavioural activation and rumination focus
- Interpersonal psychotherapy for adolescents (IPT-A) for depression
- Mindfulness based CBT (MBCT) for depression
- Specialist psychopharmacological treatment
Eligibility criteria
- Young people who have been exposed to a potentially traumatic event, resulting in PTSD symptoms, adjustment disorder, complicated bereavement, and other stress-related psychopathology
- Known or possible diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, including:
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias and agoraphobia
- Health anxiety
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Selective mutism
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Depression (unipolar)
Exclusion
- Psychiatric symptoms and risk requiring urgent assessment
- Young people with a suspected diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder should be referred to our colleagues in the Centre for Interventional Paediatric Psychopharmacology and Rare Diseases (CIPPRD) Team
- Adult referrals for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders and should be addressed to the South London and Maudsley Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma (CADAT)
- Adult referrals for depression and should be addressed to the National Affective Disorders Service
Outcomes
Outcomes
Expected outcomes may include:
- Formulation and diagnosis
- Reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression
- Improved quality of life for the young person and their family
Our results
Our clinic has developed and implemented new psychological treatments for PTSD. In a randomised-controlled trial, we showed (see below) that our 12-week treatment has powerful effects on reducing symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression; and on improving day to day functioning. These important effects were maintained when we re-assessed young people six months after treatment had finished.
CPSS = Child post-traumatic stress scale
CBT = Cognitive behaviour therapy
Wait = Wait List control condition
Smith P, Yule W, Perrin S, Tranah T, Dalgleish T and Clark D (2007). Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for PTSD in Children and Adolescents: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(8), pp.1051-1061.
The effects of our innovative psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological approaches can be seen in changes on the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), a broad measure of functioning in daily life. We show below that our treatment leads to improvement from a median CGAS intake and assessment score of 60 (Panel A), signalling some noticeable problems in more than one area, to a median CGAS discharge score of 75 (Panel B), associated with overall good functioning – with an average treatment effect of 15 CGAS points.
Panel A: CGAS at intake
Panel B: CGAS at discharge
Care Options
Teaching and Training
Teaching and training
We regularly facilitate teaching and skills-based training events on the assessment and evidence-based treatment of emotional disorders in young people. These events take place in-house in south London or across the country in local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) teams. We pride ourselves on offering interactive, engaging teaching that is tailored to the specific needs of the attendees.
Our training events usually focus on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for a specific difficulty; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related disorders, anxiety or depression. Training can be tailored to a wide range of skill levels, from novice CBT practitioners to CPD for more experienced clinicians. Packages can vary in number of days provided, for example from a one day workshop to a three-day course.
Please contact the clinic to discuss your training needs for a personalised financial quote.
Supervision
We offer face-to-face or remote clinical supervision packages for both individuals and groups, with a British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) accredited supervisor on request. Please contact the clinic for more details.
Public health
We collaborate with the UK government and local commissioning groups to set up and manage public health initiatives related to disasters and emergencies. Together with the South London and Maudsley Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, we have led a Department of Health and Public Health England scheme to assess and treat victims of terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Belgium, and France and their families.
We have also worked together with local commissioners to plan the care for asylum seekers and refugees during the Syrian crisis. Finally, we have worked with schools to assist teachers and young people coping with bereavement and witnessing of violence (for example, stabbing incidents).
Research
Our research is uncovering the mechanisms through which childhood exposure to traumatic stress can cause mental and physical health problems, in order to inform new preventative and treatment strategies. Our research has also been leading the way in improving and disseminating evidence-based treatments for trauma-related psychopathology and anxiety in young people. All senior team members are also affiliated with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.
Families seen in our clinic are often invited to participate in ongoing research projects. We have contributed to several external projects to provide resources for professionals, young people and families, such as e-learning materials for MindEd, ACAMH, and NSPCC.
Research from our team helps clinicians to understand what happens to young people who experience traumatic stress, giving insight into new ways of preventing and treating trauma-related psychopathology. These insights are informing initiatives by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). These insights are also informing public health strategies discussed at the UK House of Commons, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF):
Resources
Useful links
PTSD information for professionals:
- Mind-Ed – Single Event Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Mind-Ed - Complex Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- ACAMH guides – Trauma
- Trauma-Related Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents
PTSD information for families:
Anxiety information for professionals:
Anxiety information for families:
- Mind-Ed – The Worried Child
- BBC Bitesize - How to help your child feel better about being back in school
- Nip in the Bud - Supporting children returning to school after lock down
- Families Under Pressure - How to communicate better with your child
- Families Under Pressure - Helping your child cope with anxiety
- The KeepCool campaign
School refusal information for families:
Depression resources for families
Our experts
Prof Andrea Danese, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Dr Patrick Smith, Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Jessica Richardson, Principal Clinical Psychologist
Dr Zoë Maiden, Senior Clinical Psychologist
Dr Sarah Miles, Clinical Psychologist