Survivors of sexual abuse allege therapist negligence

In two recent litigation cases, adult survivors of sexual abuse claimed that their current symptomology was linked to the failure of mental health professionals to provide appropriate treatment. If mental health practitioners are to be held accountable for providing acceptable standards of treatment, these standards must be based on empirical evidence of the efficacy of treatment methodologies. This article provides a review of the professional literature and determines that with the exception of time-limited group treatment, which appears to reduce symptoms in some survivors of sexual abuse, there is an absence of clear evidence of treatment efficacy. Other data point to low consumer satisfaction with treatment, the absence of evidence for a consistent symptom presentation in survivors of sexual abuse that confounds standardizing treatment approaches, and iatrogenic effects of some forms of treatment. The authors conclude that, at this time, there is little empirical data to support the development of standards of practice for treating women who have been sexually abused as children.