Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Empowerment (Cognitive and Emotional) in Children with a History of Sexual Abuse
Keywords:
Sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychological empowerment, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, childrenAbstract
The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological empowerment (cognitive and emotional) in children with a history of sexual abuse. This study employed a single-case experimental design with a multiple baseline staggered approach. The statistical population included primary school students in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using purposive sampling, four children aged 8–12 years with a history of sexual abuse and meeting PTSD criteria were selected. Data were collected using the Lifetime Incidence of Traumatic Events Inventory (LITE-C, LITE-P), the Child and Parent Reports of Post-Traumatic Symptoms (CROPS, PROPS), and the Social-Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS). Participants underwent approximately 14 individual TF-CBT sessions, with concurrent parental involvement. Data were analyzed using graphical analysis, percentage of improvement, repeated measures analysis of variance, and paired-samples t-tests via SPSS version 26. The results indicated statistically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and significant increases in psychological empowerment across participants (p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed large effect sizes for both psychological empowerment (η² = 0.982) and PTSD symptoms (η² = 0.954), indicating strong treatment effects. Additionally, paired-samples t-test results showed no significant differences between post-test and follow-up scores (p > 0.05), suggesting the stability and maintenance of treatment gains over time. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective intervention for reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms and enhancing psychological empowerment in children with a history of sexual abuse, with effects that remain stable during follow-up.
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