The primary purpose of this study is to develop and test the efficacy of a new cognitive-behavioral treatment, Cognitive Processing Therapy for Sexual Abuse (CPT-SA), designed for adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. CPT-SA is adapted from Dr. Patricia Resick's Cognitive Processing Therapy for rape victims (Resick & Schnicke, 1993). The treatment is based on Briere's (in press) self-trauma theory, which combines both information processing and developmental theories to explain the diverse types of symptoms which may develop as a result of the abuse. CPT-SA offers a dramatic departure from other childhood sexual abuse treatments by combining both group and individual therapy to promote treatment advantages found with both of these formats. In addition, the treatment is brief, lasting for 17 weeks and answering the ca for short-term therapy that is cost-contained. This project proposes the further development of CPT-SA by designing a therapist treatment manual and collecting pilot data on 40 adult women survivors of sexual abuse who meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Using random assignment, the pilot study will compare the relative effectiveness of CPT-SA with a minimal attention wait-list control group. Data analyses will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of CPT-SA over three different assessment points (pre-treatment, post- treatment, 3-month follow-up). In addition CPT-SA will be compared to the control group to assess differences in symptom levels from pre- treatment to post-treatment. Subjects in the minimal attention control grou will be offered CPT-SA after immediate post-assessments. The results from the pilot data will be included in the treatment manual to facilitate fixture investigations of CPT-SA.
