Personality traits and symptom reduction in a group treatment for women with histories of childhood sexual abuse.
The influence of personality on symptom reduction has not been examined in research on treatments for women with childhood sexual abuse histories, although personality has demonstrated predictive value in other treatment contexts. This study examined personality variables associated with symptom reduction in group therapy for hospitalized women with histories of sexual abuse. Personality was measured with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), which yields scores on neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Among 86 women who participated in either the Women's Safety in Recovery (WSIR) group therapy or treatment as usual, 43 completed assessments of symptom reduction at discharge and 6-month follow-up. We hypothesized that extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience would be associated with treatment outcome. Our results showed that agreeableness and extraversion moderated the effect of treatment on symptom reduction. WSIR participants who were less agreeable improved more at discharge and 6-month follow-up than more agreeable WSIR participants. Moreover, women in the WSIR group who were more introverted showed greater symptom improvement at discharge than more extraverted women. Our findings suggest that more introverted, less agreeable patients with sexual abuse histories may indeed benefit from structured group treatments.
Talbot
Nancy L
NL
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY 14642-8409, USA.
Duberstein
Paul R
PR
Butzel
Jessica S
JS
Cox
Christopher
C
Giles
Donna E
DE
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires