The Effectiveness of a Retreat Intervention for Female Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Prevention and Interventions

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a widespread issue that can have detrimental effects on adult wellbeing. As the demand for clinical CSA treatment is high, it is important for clinicians and researchers to understand what forms of CSA interventions are both efficient and effective. A burgeoning form of treatment is retreat interventions, where groups receive intensive treatment over a few days to two weeks. However, the effectiveness of retreat interventions has yet to be empirically examined among survivors of CSA. This quasi-experimental study examined whether a four-day retreat intervention for adult female survivors of CSA was an effective form of treatment.

Methods and Participants: The average age of participants was 38 years (SD = 11.04) and the majority identified as White (83.7%). The retreat intervention, led by licensed clinical therapists, involved three forms of treatment: (1) trauma psychoeducation, (2) experience-based healing which included activities such as Muay Thai, yoga, and mindfulness classes, and (3) community building. Data from the treatment group (n = 986) were collected at six time points: Baseline, pre-retreat, post-retreat, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. The waitlist group (n = 608) participated in two baseline measures: the first occurred at the same time point as the baseline measure for the treatment group, and the second occurred at the same time as the treatment’s post-retreat measure. Outcome measures included PTSD (using the PCL-5), life satisfaction (WHO-5), social support (ESSI), and coping self-efficacy (CSE-7).

Results: Data were analyzed using multilevel growth curve modeling for the treatment group and paired-sample t-tests for the waitlist group. When analyzing data from the treatment group, we compared four trajectories across time: linear, quadratic, cubic, and logarithmic. The Akaike’s Information Criteria and Bayesian Information Criteria model fit indices were used to elucidate the best fitting model. All models best fit as a quadratic model, except for PTSD, which was best fit as a linear model. Results indicated that retreat intervention significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (b = -3.98, p < .001; Cohen’s d = 0.69) and increased levels of life satisfaction (b = 0.92, p < .001; Cohen’s d = 0.98), social support (b = 0.27, p < .001; Cohen’s d = 0.20), and coping self-efficacy (b = 0.70, p < .001; Cohen’s d = 1.14). These changes were maintained one-year post-intervention. In contrast, the waitlist group did not experience statistically significant changes across time.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that retreat interventions may be a promising form of treatment for adult survivors of CSA. This form of treatment may reduce trauma treatment costs and decrease drop-out rates for participants. Randomized controlled trials of retreat interventions across diverse samples and settings are needed.

Authors

• Kaitlin Paxton Ward, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• David S. Wood, Brigham Young University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Troy M Young
  Non-Presenting Author

• Aimee Olsen, The Younique Foundation
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kimberlee Sorensen, The Younique Foundation
  Non-Presenting Author