Childhood sexual abuse. Women's Mental and Social Health Before and After Group Therapy

Lundqvist, Gunilla

Childhood sexual abuse. Women's Mental and Social Health Before and After Group Therapy

Mark

Lundqvist, Gunilla ^LU (2005)

Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in psychological and social variables before and after group therapy for adult women who were sexually abused in childhood. Other aims were to describe and evaluate the traumafocused group therapy by consumer satisfaction, to describe the women's health before group therapy start and to evaluate the impact of single childhood sexual abuse variables on mental and social health. Material and Methods: 45 female psychiatric outpatients were treated in 10 different two-year long trauma-focused therapy groups. Each woman was interviewed on admission. Before and after treatment the women answered questionnaires regarding psychological symptoms, social variables and sense of coherence. A 12-months... (More); The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in psychological and social variables before and after group therapy for adult women who were sexually abused in childhood. Other aims were to describe and evaluate the traumafocused group therapy by consumer satisfaction, to describe the women's health before group therapy start and to evaluate the impact of single childhood sexual abuse variables on mental and social health. Material and Methods: 45 female psychiatric outpatients were treated in 10 different two-year long trauma-focused therapy groups. Each woman was interviewed on admission. Before and after treatment the women answered questionnaires regarding psychological symptoms, social variables and sense of coherence. A 12-months follow-up was done. Inpatient days and sick-listing days were assessed. After treatment termination the consumer satisfaction was evaluated.

Results: The women had mostly been abused at an early age, by a close perpetrator, through serious sexual abuse and over several years. It was common not to have revealed the sexual abuse when it happened, mostly owing to fear of not being believed. Before treatment, nearly half of the group reported a suicide attempt in their life history. In present life, most of the women had problems with their relationships to men and to women, sexual problems, low self-esteem and somatic pain. Compared to general female groups, the women suffered more from psychological symptoms, were less satisfied with their network, had a poorer social adjustment and poorer values regarding family climate and expressed emotion to their partner. Improvements after group therapy were found regarding psychological and PTSD-symptoms, sense of coherence, social interaction and social adjustment. Expressed emotion was improved regarding perceived criticism. Family climate, the inpatient days and the sick-listing days showed no improvements. Consumer satisfaction was high. Comparisons were made with a short-term therapy group which also showed satisfying treatment effects. A waiting-list group showed no changes except for improvement of the total social interaction. No differences were found between the groups.

Conclusions: Time-limited and trauma focused group therapy seems to have positive effects on psychological and PTSD-symptoms, sense of coherence, social interaction, overall social adjustment and perceived criticism from the partner. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish): Popular Abstract in Swedish

Syftet med studien var att utvärdera förändringar avseende psykologiska och sociala variabler före och efter gruppterapi för vuxna kvinnor som utsatts för sexuella övergrepp i barndomen. Ytterligare syften var att beskriva och genom "consumer satisfaction" utvärdera den traumafokuserade gruppterapin, att beskriva kvinnornas hälsa före gruppterapistart och att utvärdera enskilda övergreppsvariablers påverkan på mental och social hälsa.

Material och metod: 45 kvinnliga psykiatriska öppenvårdspatienter behandlades i 10 olika två år långa traumafokuserade terapigrupper. Varje kvinna intervjuades vid ett bedömningssamtal. Före och efter behandling besvarade kvinnorna frågeformulär... (More); Popular Abstract in Swedish

Syftet med studien var att utvärdera förändringar avseende psykologiska och sociala variabler före och efter gruppterapi för vuxna kvinnor som utsatts för sexuella övergrepp i barndomen. Ytterligare syften var att beskriva och genom "consumer satisfaction" utvärdera den traumafokuserade gruppterapin, att beskriva kvinnornas hälsa före gruppterapistart och att utvärdera enskilda övergreppsvariablers påverkan på mental och social hälsa.

Material och metod: 45 kvinnliga psykiatriska öppenvårdspatienter behandlades i 10 olika två år långa traumafokuserade terapigrupper. Varje kvinna intervjuades vid ett bedömningssamtal. Före och efter behandling besvarade kvinnorna frågeformulär angående psykologiska symptom, sociala variabler och känsla av sammanhang. En 12 månaders uppföljning gjordes. Slutenvårdsdagar och sjukskrivningsdagar mättes. Efter behandlingsslut utvärderades consumer satisfaction.

Resultat: Kvinnorna hade i stor utsträckning blivit utnyttjade i tidig ålder, av en nära förövare, genom allvarliga sexuella övergrepp och under många år. Det var vanligt att inte ha avslöjat de sexuella övergreppen då de hände, mestadels beroende på rädsla för att inte bli trodd. Före behandling hade nästan hälften av gruppen gjort ett suicidförsök någon gång i sitt liv. De flesta kvinnorna hade problem med nära relationer till män och till kvinnor, sexuella problem, låg självkänsla och somatisk smärta. Jämfört med kvinnliga normalgrupper hade kvinnorna mer psykologiska symtom, var mindre tillfredsställda med sitt nätverk, hade sämre social anpassning och sämre värden angående familjeklimat och "expressed emotion" i relation till sin partner. Förbättringar efter gruppterapi visades angående psykologiska och PTSDsymtom, känsla av sammanhang, socialt nätverk och social anpassning. Expressed emotion förbättrades angående subskalan "perceived criticism". Familjklimat, slutenvårdsdagar och sjukskrivningsdagar visade inga förbättringar. Consumer satisfaction var hög. Jämförelser gjordes med en korttidsterapigrupp som också visade tillfredsställande behandlingseffekter. En väntelistegrupp visade inga förändringar utom vad gäller förbättring av totalt socialt stöd. Inga skillnader fanns mellan grupperna.

Slutsatser: Tidsbegränsad och traumafokuserad gruppterapi verkar ha positiva effekter på psykologiska och PTSD-symtom, känsla av sammanhang, socialt nätverk, social anpassning och perceived criticism från partnern. (Less)

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/544574

author

Lundqvist, Gunilla ^LU

supervisor

Carl Göran Svedin ^LU

opponent

Ass professor Wrangsjö, Björn, Karolinska Institutet i Stockholm

organization

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

publishing date

2005

type

Thesis

publication status

published

subject

Psychiatry

keywords

psychological symptoms, childhood sexual abuse, group therapy, Medicin (människa och djur), Medicine (human and vertebrates), social adjustment, social interaction

publisher

gunilla.lundqvist@skane.se

defense location

Edens Hörsal

defense date

2005-04-15 09:15:00

ISBN

91-85439-11-8

language

English

LU publication?

yes

additional info

G Lundqvist, K Hansson, CG Svedin and I Ekström. 2005. Group therapy for women who were sexually abused as children. Description, symptoms and consumer satisfaction. In F. Columbus (Ed), Domestic Violence. New York: Nova Science publishers Inc., (accepted)

G Lundqvist, CG Svedin and K Hansson. 2004. Childhood sexual abuse. Women's health when starting in group therapy. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, vol 58 pp 25-32. Taylor & Francis Health Sciences

G Lundqvist, K Hansson and CG Svedin. 2004. The influence of childhood sexual abuse factors on women's health. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, vol 58 pp 395-401. Taylor & Francis Health Sciences

G Lundqvist, CG Svedin, K Hansson and I Broman. 2004. Group therapy for women sexually abused as children. Mental health before and after group therapy. (submitted)

G Lundqvist, K Hansson and CG Svedin. 2004. Group therapy for women sexually abused as children. Social interaction, adjustment and relationships before and after group therapy. (submitted)

id

f9f32192-563b-413e-8e36-d3175ec3f250 (old id 544574)

date added to LUP

2016-04-01 15:50:28

date last changed

2018-11-21 20:36:47

@phdthesis{f9f32192-563b-413e-8e36-d3175ec3f250,
  abstract     = {{The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in psychological and social variables before and after group therapy for adult women who were sexually abused in childhood. Other aims were to describe and evaluate the traumafocused group therapy by consumer satisfaction, to describe the women's health before group therapy start and to evaluate the impact of single childhood sexual abuse variables on mental and social health. Material and Methods: 45 female psychiatric outpatients were treated in 10 different two-year long trauma-focused therapy groups. Each woman was interviewed on admission. Before and after treatment the women answered questionnaires regarding psychological symptoms, social variables and sense of coherence. A 12-months follow-up was done. Inpatient days and sick-listing days were assessed. After treatment termination the consumer satisfaction was evaluated.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results: The women had mostly been abused at an early age, by a close perpetrator, through serious sexual abuse and over several years. It was common not to have revealed the sexual abuse when it happened, mostly owing to fear of not being believed. Before treatment, nearly half of the group reported a suicide attempt in their life history. In present life, most of the women had problems with their relationships to men and to women, sexual problems, low self-esteem and somatic pain. Compared to general female groups, the women suffered more from psychological symptoms, were less satisfied with their network, had a poorer social adjustment and poorer values regarding family climate and expressed emotion to their partner. Improvements after group therapy were found regarding psychological and PTSD-symptoms, sense of coherence, social interaction and social adjustment. Expressed emotion was improved regarding perceived criticism. Family climate, the inpatient days and the sick-listing days showed no improvements. Consumer satisfaction was high. Comparisons were made with a short-term therapy group which also showed satisfying treatment effects. A waiting-list group showed no changes except for improvement of the total social interaction. No differences were found between the groups.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusions: Time-limited and trauma focused group therapy seems to have positive effects on psychological and PTSD-symptoms, sense of coherence, social interaction, overall social adjustment and perceived criticism from the partner.}},
  author       = {{Lundqvist, Gunilla}},
  isbn         = {{91-85439-11-8}},
  keywords     = {{psychological symptoms; childhood sexual abuse; group therapy; Medicin (människa och djur); Medicine (human and vertebrates); social adjustment; social interaction}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{gunilla.lundqvist@skane.se}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Childhood sexual abuse. Women's Mental and Social Health Before and After Group Therapy}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4488570/544580.pdf}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}

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Childhood sexual abuse. Women's Mental and Social Health Before and After Group Therapy