Predictors of treatment outcome in sexually abused children.

PROBLEM This study evaluated the impact of child and family characteristics on treatment outcome of sexually abused children. METHOD Forty-nine recently sexually abused 7- to 14-year-old children were randomly assigned to either abuse-focused cognitive behavioral therapy or nondirective supportive therapy, and assessed pre- and post-treatment using several standardized instruments. These included five measures of psychological symptomatology and four measures of child and family characteristics hypothesized to mediate treatment response. Correlational and multiple regression analyses were utilized to evaluate the impact of the following mediating factors on treatment outcome: Children's abuse-related attributions and perceptions; family cohesion and adaptability; parental support of the child; and parental emotional reaction to the child's abuse. RESULTS Children's abuse-related attributions and perceptions and parental support of the child were strong predictors of treatment outcome in this population. CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic attention to children's sexual abuse-related attributions and to enhancing parental support may be important factors in optimizing treatment outcome in 8- to 14-year-old sexually abused children.