Poster #53 - Childhood Trauma, Mentalization and an Intervention to Reduce Symptoms in Young People in Prison in Panama

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Introduction: It is estimated that a young person below 24 years old commits 80% of crimes in Central America. Unfortunely, this region lacks rigorous studies establishing the psychological characteristics of those who commit a crime early in life. In addition, there are few studies conducted locally exploring the efficacy of evidence-based interventions to improve mental health of young people in prison.

Objectives: This study took place in Panama, Central America. The first aim of the study was to establish if there were significant differences in childhood trauma and mentalization in between 1) young people in prison and 2) those from the general population. The second aim was to establish efficacy of a group EMDR therapy to reduce anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms in young people in prison that reported high levels of childhood trauma.

Study Population: For the first aim, N = 100 young people in between 14 and 22 years old were compared to N = 100 young people in prison from the same age range. For the second aim, N = 33 young people in prison that reported high levels of childhood trauma were randomized to 1) a waiting list group or 2) receiving 8 sessions of group EMDR therapy immediately.

Methods: To address the first aim, we conducted a cross-sectional study. A total of 200 young people (N = 100 from the general population and N = 100 in prison) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), a self-reported measure of childhood trauma, and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), a self-reported measure of mentalization. T tests were calculated to assess differences in between both populations. To address the second aim, N = 33 young people in prison that self-reported high levels of childhood trauma were randomized to a waiting list control or to receiving 8 sessions of group EMDR therapy. Outcomes were assessed at pre and post intervention using the Beck Anxiety Inventory to measure anxiety and the PCL-5 to measure post-traumatic stress symptoms. An ANCOVA analysis controlling for baseline levels were conducted to establish efficacy of the EMDR therapy.

Results: Young people in prison reported significantly more childhood experiences of physical abuse, emotional negligence and physical negligence than young people from the general population (p < 0.01). Those in prison also showed fewer skills for mentalization (p < 0.01). There were significant correlations between fewer skills for mentalization and reporting physical abuse (r = .18), physical negligence (r = .17) and emotional negligence (r = .23) during childhood (all p < 0.05). Eight sessions of group EMDR therapy showed efficacious for reducing anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms in young people in prison. There were significant differences in anxiety and PTSD symptoms between the waiting list control and those who received the therapy at post-intervention (p < 0.01).

This study was funded by the Developing Countries Fellowship from the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD).

Authors

• Anilena Mejia, UNICEF Panama
  Presenting Author

• Montserrat Miranda, Universidad Catolica Santa Maria la Antigua
  Non-Presenting Author

• Isabel L Chen, Universidad de Panama
  Non-Presenting Author

• Peter Smith, Goldsmiths, University of London
  Non-Presenting Author