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[Efficacy of a treatment program for sexually abused children]
M Tourigny1, N Péladeau, M Doyon
1Department of Psychoeducation, Université du Québec à Hull, Québec, Canada.
Insights
Individual therapy positively impacts sexually abused children's mental health, while group therapy shows mixed results. Further research is needed to understand therapeutic effectiveness and parent-child evaluation disparities.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Therapeutic Interventions
Background:
- Childhood sexual abuse significantly impacts psychological well-being.
- Effective treatment programs are crucial for recovery and long-term health.
- Evaluating therapeutic impact requires understanding participation levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a treatment program for sexually abused children.
- To assess the relationship between therapy participation and psychological well-being.
- To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes in child victims of sexual abuse.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one children (aged 6-17) victims of intrafamilial sexual abuse were assessed pre- and post-treatment (16 months).
- Psychological well-being was measured using standardized scales: CDI, PSPCA, CNS-IE, CATS, RCMAS, and PBS.
- Hierarchical multiple regression analyzed the link between therapy participation (individual and group) and psychological well-being evolution.
Main Results:
- Child mental health generally improved with higher participation in individual therapy.
- Group therapy participation showed no or negative correlation with improved mental health, except for the Pediatric Behavior Scale (PBS).
- The level of engagement in individual therapy was positively associated with better psychological outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The findings highlight the need for "dose" measurements in evaluating therapeutic impact.
- A deeper understanding of specific therapeutic activities and their effects is required.
- Disparities in parent and child evaluations of psychological status warrant further investigation.
Objective:
An evaluation study was conducted in order to evaluate the impact of the treatment program for sexually abused children.
Method:
Forty-one (41) children (aged 6-17 years), victims of a sexual abuse by a family member, were assessed at pre- and post-treatment (16 months following the pre-test). The evolution of children's psychological well-being was measured by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Picturial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance for Young Children (PSPCA), the Children's Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External control scale (CNS-IE), the Children's Action Tendency Scale (CATS), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and the Pediatric Behavior Scale (PBS). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to assess the strength of the relationship between the level of participation in both individual (including dyadic and family therapy) and group therapy and the evolution of Ss' psychological well-being.
Results:
Results indicate that the child's mental health was generally positively related to the level of participation in individual therapy but not related or negatively related with the level of participation in group sessions except for the PBS.
Conclusions:
These results indicate the need: (a) to consider the adoption of a dose measurement in the appreciation of the therapeutic impact; (b) to have a better grasp of the nature and the effects of specific therapeutic activities included in a program; (c) to have a better understanding of the disparities observed between parents' and children's evaluation of the psychological status of the child.