NCJ Number
112094
Journal
Psychotherapy Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1988) Pages: 82-93
Date Published
1988
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the effectiveness of 1 year of psychotherapy in reducing the long-term psychological after effects of sexual assault.
Abstract
The treatment subjects were seven white women who responded to standardized measures of psychological functioning at seven points throughout treatment. Weekly therapy sessions lasted about 2.5 hours and were led by two female therapists. While there was evidence of an initial deleterious effect of treatment on symptoms, therapy subjects showed improvement in rape fears and generalized fear that was evident by the 20th treatment session, continued throughout treatment, and was maintained at followup. Subjects also showed improvement in intrusive symptoms over time. Improvement in depression scores were evident by session 28 and were maintained through followup. There was no evidence for stable change in social and leisure adjustment. Variability of treatment effects among subjects, methodological issues, and victims' experiences of the change process are discussed. 3 figures and 50 references. (Author abstract modified)