Treatment for Adolescents Traumatized by Sexual Abuse

This 5-year research study is sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and is under the direction of principal investigator Edna Foa, PhD. It was designed to compare the efficacy of prolonged exposure (PE) therapy with that of treatment-as-usual (supportive counseling) in adolescent girls exposed to child sexual abuse (CSA) or sexual assault. Both treatments are conducted by counselors at Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR), a community clinic in Philadelphia, PA, that provides services to victims of sexual assault across the developmental spectrum. Adolescent girls between the ages of 13-18 who have CSA or sexual assault-related PTSD are eligible to participate. Treatment consists of up to 17 weekly therapy sessions, each 60-90 minutes in duration Participants are assessed by independent evaluators who are psychologists from University of Pennsylvania at pre-treatment, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment ends.