NCJ Number
143407
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1993) Pages: 256-276
Date Published
1993
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article highlights the general methodological issues that are pertinent in the design of studies to evaluate the treatment outcome of rape-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Abstract
PTSD can be one of the debilitating and harmful effects of sexual assault. Although many forms of intervention exist for rape-related PTSD, only a few well-controlled studies have been conducted to evaluate systematically the treatment response of women who have been the victims of sexual assault. Overall, cognitive-behavioral interventions for rape-related PTSD, with single or multiple treatment components, have been found to result in a decrease or remission of posttrauma sequelae when compared to no treatment or wait-list control conditions. The wide range of psychological interventions for the treatment of postrape sequelae are reviewed in this article, and special attention is given to cognitive-behavioral interventions, because these treatments have been subjected to more rigorous empirical examinations. Suggestions are offered for improving the assessment of rape-related PTSD and for predicting treatment response in rape victims. 71 references