Assessing long-term therapy for the treatment of adult survivors of childhood abuse
Ryan R, French S
Record ID 32003000712
English
Authors' objectives:
This aim of this report was to assess the effectiveness of long-term counselling or psychotherapy (6 months or longer) versus no treatment or short-term therapy (less than 6 months) for the treatment of adult survivors of childhood abuse.
Authors' recommendations:
- Two studies were identified that met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Both studies assessed the utility of group therapy among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
- In general, studies reported beneficial effects of group therapy interventions upon psychological well-being among adult survivors of abuse.
- Compared with no therapy or therapy of a short duration (<6 months), men sexually abused as children improved in global scores of psychological distress, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and psychoticism following group therapy of at least six months duration.
- Both short-term (<20 weeks) and long-term group therapy (50 weeks) benefited women sexually abused as children on measures of affect and self-esteem. No significant differences were found however between short- and long-term group therapy interventions.
- Retrieved studies were generally only oflow level evidence with methodological problems. Methodological problems included: - small sample sizes - inequality of populations on key characteristics at baseline - inadequate description of subject characteristics - inadequate description of study designs - in the identified meta-analysis inadequate acknowledgement of the limitations of study designs suggests that the results should be treated with a degree of caution.
Authors' methods:
Review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
URL for project:
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/healthservices/cce/evidence/
Year Published:
2003
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Australia
MeSH Terms
- Child Abuse
- Counseling
- Psychotherapy
Contact
Organisation Name:
Centre for Clinical Effectiveness
Contact Address:
Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Block E, Monash Medical Centre, Locked Bag 29, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9594 7505; Fax: +61 3 9594 7552.
Contact Name:
cce@med.monash.edu.au.
Contact Email:
cce@med.monash.edu.au.
Copyright:
Centre for Clinical Effectiveness (CCE)
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.