NCJ Number
228203
Journal
Social Work in Mental Health Volume: 7 Issue: 6 Dated: 2009 Pages: 533-555
Date Published
July 2009
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the preliminary outcomes of a pilot group program that treated nonoffending parents of sexually abused children.
Abstract
The analysis of pregroup and postgroup questionnaires and attendance records showed a decrease in scores in several areas after participation in the pilot program. In the child-related areas of stress, parents reported lower levels of child hyperactivity and acceptability. In the adolescent domain, parents reported lower levels of stress related to their children's mood, isolation, and delinquent behaviors. In the areas specific to parent-related stress, there were lower scores in the areas of incompetence, attachment, health, role restriction, spousal relationships, and adolescent-parent relationships. Scores that reflected overall levels of family-related stress also changed after treatment. Limitations of this study are a small group size and the absence of a control group or randomization procedures. This limited the ability of this study to attribute any posttreatment changes exclusively to the intervention. The 10 participants for the group program were recruited from a pool of caregivers presenting to a local child advocacy center for treatment and evaluation. All participants were adult female caregivers with a child or children with a history of sexual abuse. The group intervention integrated trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral interventions with supportive and psycho-educational interventions. Participants completed pregroup and postgroup questionnaires that assessed posttraumatic stress and family functioning. All participants also completed a personal goal-setting exercise at the start of the intervention. At the end of the 12-week curriculum, participants completed satisfaction questionnaires. 5 tables and 42 references