Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Talbot, N. L. Articles by Wynne, L. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Talbot, N. L. Articles by Wynne, L. C. Child Abuse Other Psychotherapy

Effects of Group Treatment for Women With a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse

OBJECTIVE: Empirical support for the effectiveness of group therapies for women with a history of childhood sexual abuse is scant. This study examined the feasibility of conducting abuse-focused research and group treatment on a short-term unit and evaluated the effectiveness of the Women's Safety in Recovery group. METHODS: Eighty-six women with a history of childhood sexual abuse participated in treatment as usual (N=38) or in the Women's Safety in Recovery group (N=48). The latter group met three times weekly for one hour, focusing on patients' current safety and self-care. Participants completed the Symptom Checklist—Revised at baseline, discharge, and six-month follow-up. Patients rated their experience in treatment at discharge and six-month follow-up, and therapists rated patients' treatment experiences at discharge. The feasibility of the treatment group was measured by enrollment rates, group attendance, and attrition. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of eligible patients agreed to enroll in the study. Women's Safety in Recovery participants attended an average of ten group meetings. Seventy percent of enrollees completed discharge assessments, and of these, 82 percent completed the six-month follow-up. Compared with treatment-as-usual patients, Women's Safety in Recovery participants reported greater symptom improvement and reported that their childhood sexual abuse issues had been more thoroughly addressed. These differences were present at discharge and at six-month follow-up. Therapists also perceived that abuse issues of these participants had been more thoroughly addressed. CONCLUSIONS: Women's Safety in Recovery participants reported significant reductions in distress compared with those receiving treatment as usual. The abuse-focused research program and the Women's Safety in Recovery group proved feasible, despite attrition.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. L. Talbot, B. Chapman, Y. Conwell, K. McCollumn, N. Franus, S. Cotescu, and P. R. Duberstein Childhood Sexual Abuse is Associated With Physical Illness Burden and Functioning in Psychiatric Patients 50 Years of Age and Older Psychosom Med, May 1, 2009; 71(4): 417 - 422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Lundqvist, C. G. Svedin, K. Hansson, and I. Broman Group Therapy for Women Sexually Abused as Children: Mental Health Before and After Group Therapy J Interpers Violence, December 1, 2006; 21(12): 1665 - 1677. [Abstract] [PDF]

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 1999 American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us