The major aim of the proposed project is to assess the feasibility of random assignment treatment outcome study of two model-based, protocol driven, intensive short-term crisis treatment approaches and a waiting list control condition for sexually abused children. The two short-term crisis treatments to be compared are: a) an intensive short-term cognitive-behavioral intervention, and b) a structured expressive therapy based upon the Traumagenic Factors Model. The project seeks to explore the impact of these treatment conditions across three domains of outcome variables: 1) trauma related disorder symptoms, 2) psychophysiological symptoms corresponding to trauma related disorder symptoms, and 3) non- specific symptoms. Psychological measures will be based on a multi-source, multi-method assessment battery including standardized abuse specific and structured psychiatric interview instruments. Psychophysiological assessment will focus on eye blink, heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) responses to startle, event related potential (ERP) HR and SC responses to a tone intensity augmentation/reduction paradigm, and HR and SC responses to abuse related (but not sexually explicit) visual stimuli. The study would be among the first controlled treatment outcome studies of any kind for this population. It would also provide the first data on the longitudinal course of trauma related psychophysiological phenomena in traumatized children and their correspondence with changes in symptom status and treatment outcome.
| Chaffin, Mark; Silovsky, Jane F; Vaughn, Christy (2005) Temporal concordance of anxiety disorders and child sexual abuse: implications for direct versus artifactual effects of sexual abuse. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 34:210-22 |
| Chaffin, M; Shultz, S K (2001) Psychometric evaluation of the children's impact of traumatic events scale-revised. Child Abuse Negl 25:401-11 |
