Childhood sexual abuse is a significant social issue that impacts individuals across racial, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic identities (Feiring, Simon, & Cleland, 2009). When these impacted individuals reach adulthood, they are at increased risk for a number of problematic mental health, physical health, and interpersonal outcomes. A variety of counseling options exist for adult survivors; however, research is inconclusive as to which treatment orientations are most effective for this population. This study, which consists of a systematic review, series of pairwise meta-analyses, moderator analyses, and network meta-analyses, investigates the comparative effectiveness of various treatments for adults who experienced sexual abuse as children.
Over 17,000 studies were screened for pre-determined eligibility criteria, resulting in the identification of a total of 38 reports from 18 independent, eligible studies. Data were extracted from these studies using a uniform process, and outcomes were used in a series of analyses. The results of the pairwise meta-analyses indicated that psychosocial treatment was more effective than a no contact waitlist condition for the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and dissociation. Treatment was also associated with a reduction in depression symptoms when compared to minimal attention; other meta-analyses that compared treatment to minimal attention were underpowered.
The network meta-analyses examining the comparative effectiveness of specific treatments were underpowered and likely biased. The network analyses examining treatments that placed a greater emphasis on trauma experiences versus those that placed a greater emphasis on present problems were more informative though still underpowered. The results suggest that trauma-centered approaches may work best for PTSD symptoms while more present-focused approaches may be more effective for depression.
Ultimately, this dissertation highlights a number of important directions for future research, including increasing the quality and quantity of primary studies on this population; creating standardized treatment categories; exploring specific subpopulations of survivors including men, incarcerated individuals, and survivors of multi-type maltreatment; and more consistently measuring client and treatment characteristics in primary studies.
","abstract_html":"<p>Childhood sexual abuse is a significant social issue that impacts individuals across racial, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic identities (Feiring, Simon, & Cleland, 2009). When these impacted individuals reach adulthood, they are at increased risk for a number of problematic mental health, physical health, and interpersonal outcomes. A variety of counseling options exist for adult survivors; however, research is inconclusive as to which treatment orientations are most effective for this population. This study, which consists of a systematic review, series of pairwise meta-analyses, moderator analyses, and network meta-analyses, investigates the comparative effectiveness of various treatments for adults who experienced sexual abuse as children.</p> <p>Over 17,000 studies were screened for pre-determined eligibility criteria, resulting in the identification of a total of 38 reports from 18 independent, eligible studies. Data were extracted from these studies using a uniform process, and outcomes were used in a series of analyses. The results of the pairwise meta-analyses indicated that psychosocial treatment was more effective than a no contact waitlist condition for the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and dissociation. Treatment was also associated with a reduction in depression symptoms when compared to minimal attention; other meta-analyses that compared treatment to minimal attention were underpowered.</p> <p>The network meta-analyses examining the comparative effectiveness of specific treatments were underpowered and likely biased. The network analyses examining treatments that placed a greater emphasis on trauma experiences versus those that placed a greater emphasis on present problems were more informative though still underpowered. The results suggest that trauma-centered approaches may work best for PTSD symptoms while more present-focused approaches may be more effective for depression.</p> <p>Ultimately, this dissertation highlights a number of important directions for future research, including increasing the quality and quantity of primary studies on this population; creating standardized treatment categories; exploring specific subpopulations of survivors including men, incarcerated individuals, and survivors of multi-type maltreatment; and more consistently measuring client and treatment characteristics in primary studies.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Wilen, Jessica Schaffner"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Bryn Mawr only","degree_discipline":"Social Work and Social Research","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:36Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.brynmawr.edu/dissertations/90","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Wilen, Jessica Schaffner"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-05-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Social Work and Social Research"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Bryn Mawr only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.brynmawr.edu/dissertations/90"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Childhood sexual abuse is a significant social issue that impacts individuals across racial, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic identities (Feiring, Simon, & Cleland, 2009). When these impacted individuals reach adulthood, they are at increased risk for a number of problematic mental health, physical health, and interpersonal outcomes. A variety of counseling options exist for adult survivors; however, research is inconclusive as to which treatment orientations are most effective for this population. This study, which consists of a systematic review, series of pairwise meta-analyses, moderator analyses, and network meta-analyses, investigates the comparative effectiveness of various treatments for adults who experienced sexual abuse as children.
Over 17,000 studies were screened for pre-determined eligibility criteria, resulting in the identification of a total of 38 reports from 18 independent, eligible studies. Data were extracted from these studies using a uniform process, and outcomes were used in a series of analyses. The results of the pairwise meta-analyses indicated that psychosocial treatment was more effective than a no contact waitlist condition for the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and dissociation. Treatment was also associated with a reduction in depression symptoms when compared to minimal attention; other meta-analyses that compared treatment to minimal attention were underpowered.
The network meta-analyses examining the comparative effectiveness of specific treatments were underpowered and likely biased. The network analyses examining treatments that placed a greater emphasis on trauma experiences versus those that placed a greater emphasis on present problems were more informative though still underpowered. The results suggest that trauma-centered approaches may work best for PTSD symptoms while more present-focused approaches may be more effective for depression.
Ultimately, this dissertation highlights a number of important directions for future research, including increasing the quality and quantity of primary studies on this population; creating standardized treatment categories; exploring specific subpopulations of survivors including men, incarcerated individuals, and survivors of multi-type maltreatment; and more consistently measuring client and treatment characteristics in primary studies.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Psychosocial Interventions for Adults who were Sexually Abused as Children"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Wilen, Jessica Schaffner"],"dc:date.available":["2014-05-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Childhood sexual abuse is a significant social issue that impacts individuals across racial, cultural, gender, and socioeconomic identities (Feiring, Simon, & Cleland, 2009). When these impacted individuals reach adulthood, they are at increased risk for a number of problematic mental health, physical health, and interpersonal outcomes. A variety of counseling options exist for adult survivors; however, research is inconclusive as to which treatment orientations are most effective for this population. This study, which consists of a systematic review, series of pairwise meta-analyses, moderator analyses, and network meta-analyses, investigates the comparative effectiveness of various treatments for adults who experienced sexual abuse as children.
Over 17,000 studies were screened for pre-determined eligibility criteria, resulting in the identification of a total of 38 reports from 18 independent, eligible studies. Data were extracted from these studies using a uniform process, and outcomes were used in a series of analyses. The results of the pairwise meta-analyses indicated that psychosocial treatment was more effective than a no contact waitlist condition for the treatment of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and dissociation. Treatment was also associated with a reduction in depression symptoms when compared to minimal attention; other meta-analyses that compared treatment to minimal attention were underpowered.
The network meta-analyses examining the comparative effectiveness of specific treatments were underpowered and likely biased. The network analyses examining treatments that placed a greater emphasis on trauma experiences versus those that placed a greater emphasis on present problems were more informative though still underpowered. The results suggest that trauma-centered approaches may work best for PTSD symptoms while more present-focused approaches may be more effective for depression.
Ultimately, this dissertation highlights a number of important directions for future research, including increasing the quality and quantity of primary studies on this population; creating standardized treatment categories; exploring specific subpopulations of survivors including men, incarcerated individuals, and survivors of multi-type maltreatment; and more consistently measuring client and treatment characteristics in primary studies.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.brynmawr.edu/dissertations/90"],"dc:title":["A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Psychosocial Interventions for Adults who were Sexually Abused as Children"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Social Work and Social Research"],"thesis:degree_level":["Bryn Mawr only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:36Z"}