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The British Journal of Psychiatry (2003) 183: 66-72
© 2003 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

PRELIMINARY REPORT

Early intervention service for non-abusing parents of victims of child sexual abuse

Pilot study

FIONA FORBES, MPhil, FRCPsych

Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh

JOHN C. DUFFY, MSc

University of Birmingham

JACQUELINE MOK, MD, FRCP, FRCPH and JETTE LEMVIG, BSc (Hons)

Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK

Correspondence: Dr Fiona Forbes, Child and Family Mental Health Servie, Royal Hospital For Sick Children, 3 Rillbank Terrace, Edinburgh EH9 1LL,UK.Tel: 0131 536 0520; Fax: 0131 536 0545; e-mail: fiona.forbes{at}lpct.scot.nhs.uk

Declaration of interest None. The study was funded by the Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Executive Health Department.

Background Childhood sexual abuse is a non-specific risk factor for psychopathological disorders in childhood and later life. The response of non-abusing parents to disclosure of abuse may influence the child’s outcome.

Aims To assess the level of psychopathological symptoms in parents and children following disclosure of sexual abuse and the changes following a parental treatment intervention.

Method Parents completed standardised rating scales about their own and their child’s symptoms. These were repeated following the intervention.

Results Thirty-nine parents of 31 children completed scales at the baseline assessment; 18 repeated these following interventions. Initially, parents reported high rates of psychopathological symptoms in themselves and their children, which were reduced following the intervention.

Conclusions This study confirms the high rates of psychopathological symptoms found in parents of children following disclosure of sexual abuse. Children clinically identified for intervention had higher measured levels of psychopathological symptoms. Targeted treatment interventions are needed.


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