The impact of long-term group therapy on adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse

grantor: University of TorontoResearch about short-term and long-term group treatment for survivors of childhood sexual abuse has found that group treatment facilitates significant changes in self-esteem, locus of control and psychological distress. Difficulties with social intimacy, however, have shown no lasting improvement in short-term treatment, and no attempt has been made to assess the patterns of change over time. The study investigated patterns of change in self-esteem, locus of control, social intimacy and psychological distress among women who participated in one-year long group treatment and concurrent individual treatment. Client-perceived perceptions of progress in treatment and therapeutic factors were examined qualitatively. Fifty-seven women participated in therapy groups up to 55 weeks in duration, with measures and questionnaires describing progress in treatment administered every 11 weeks. Post-treatment interviews were conducted with nine participants. Demographic, abuse history and the dependent variables were examined in relationship to group completion, with the sample categorized into the no-treatment group, the 11-44 week treatment completers and the 55-week treatment completers. The dependent variables and the questionnaires were examined for improvement and patterns of change over time for the 55-week treatment completers. The 55-week treatment completers demonstrated marginally higher levels of somatization at assessment and a tendency to have also experienced physical abuse. The patterns of change revealed that sociability, self-esteem, assertiveness and overly nurturant behaviour showed early and continued improvement. Hostile dominance and psychological distress improved in the short-term with no further changes. Changes toward more internality in autonomous behaviour occurred after long-term treatment but a belief in the power of authority changed toward greater externality. No changes in intimacy, somatization, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism occurred across the treatment period. The qualitative findings revealed that positive changes in self-esteem and interpersonal relationships occurred after 55 weeks but difficulties with abuse- related affect, anger and trust remained problematic. Results suggest the benefit of offering choice in terms of duration of group treatment as well as the need to determine which variables differentiate potential consumers of long-term treatment. For survivors who opt for long-term treatment, interventions should be focused specifically on issues which require longer periods of time to address.Ed.D