A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of a Group Intervention for Adult Survivors of Polyvictimization and Complex Trauma

ABSTRACT

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a manualized group treatment for adult survivors of polyvictimization and complex trauma (N = 116). Participants were assessed at baseline (waitlist), pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Scores statistically significantly improved on measures of symptom distress (Outcome Questionnaire-45 and Trauma Symptom Checklist-40) following the group intervention. Individual client scores were analyzed for pre/post treatment differences and indicated that 41% of the sample made reliable gains on the OQ-45. Significant gender differences were noted with females’ scores indicating a much stronger improvement during treatment. Implications for group counseling practice and future research are delineated.

KEYWORDS:

• Abuse
• adverse childhood experiences
• complex trauma
• polyvictimization

Notes

1. For full transparency and to demonstrate that these results were not the result of data mining to identify significant relationships, all substantive (hypothesis testing) analyses were reported or mentioned in this manuscript with the following exceptions: 1) analyses to test whether the effects of treatment differed by type of trauma were briefly examined, but abandoned due to insufficient sample sizes by trauma type, and 2) alternative analyses to estimate the effects of treatment on spiritual/religious outcomes, which were later decided to be outside the scope of this study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer M. Foster

Jennifer M. Foster, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University.

Whitney DeCamp

Whitney DeCamp, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Sociology at Western Michigan University and the director of the Kercher Center for Social Research.