Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice
Published on: January 24, 2025
Childhood sexual abuse differentially predicts outcome of cognitive-behavioral therapy for deliberate self-harm
Philip Spinhoven1, Nadja Slee, Nadia Garnefski
1Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. spinhoven@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Abstract:
This study examined the association of childhood abuse with deliberate self-harm and related psychopathology and the impact of childhood abuse on treatment outcome as assessed in a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for 90 young people who recently engaged in Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH). Participants with a history of childhood sexual abuse manifested more Axis I disorders and reported higher levels of DSH, depression, suicidal cognitions, anxiety, and dissociation. After statistically controlling for baseline differences in DSH and related psychopathology, participants with a reported history of childhood sexual abuse showed a significantly lower risk of repeated DSH in the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy condition compared with those receiving treatment-as-usual (TAU). Our results suggest that a structured treatment format and focus on adequate emotion regulation skills may be essential elements in the treatment of persons with DSH and a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Related Concept Videos
Conduct Disorder
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Bullying
Cognitive Therapy
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
