title: An affect-management group for women with posttraumatic stress disorder and histories of childhood sexual abuse.
abstract: Systematic research on effective treatment for survivors of childhood sexual abuse with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is virtually non-existent. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of an affect-management treatment (AM) group to a wait list control condition for female survivors of childhood sexual abuse with PTSD. Forty-eight female survivors of childhood sexual abuse with PTSD were randomly assigned to either a 15-week affect-management treatment group or to a wait list control condition. All subjects received individual psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for the duration of the study, and for at least 1-month prior to the study. Controlling for pretreatment scores, subjects who completed the affect-management treatment group (n = 17) reported significantly fewer posttreatment symptoms of PTSD and dissociation than subjects in the wait list control condition (n = 16). Our findings suggest that an affect-management group treatment is beneficial as an adjunct to individual psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for survivors of childhood sexual abuse with PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Butler Hospital, Brown University Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Providence, Rhode Island 02906, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zlotnick
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Shea
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulrenin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Begin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pearlstein
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome