Abstract
Background: The STEPS programme has been succesfully implemented as a group-based
treatment of trauma symptoms after rape for adolescents. The STEPS intervention was translated from Dutch to Danish and offered to adults in addition to adolescents as well as an
individual intervention in addition to a group-based intervention at a Danish Centre for Rape
Victims through 2011 to 2014. The programme was translated from Dutch to Danish and
expanded to adults in addition to adolescents as well as to an individual intervention in addition
to a group-based intervention at a Danish Centre for Rape Victims through 2011 to 2014.
Objective: The present study observes development in trauma symptoms and ICD-11
diagnostic status during an adapted version of the intervention programme ‘STEPS’ for
survivors of sexual assault.
Methods: A prospective uncontrolled study was conducted, monitoring symptoms of posttraumatic stress and other trauma-related symptomatology before treatment, after treatment
and at 6 and 12 months' follow up for 103 referrals receiving individual or group-based STEPS.
Tentative diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD were assigned
to participants according to the ICD-11 to observe the development in diagnostic status
across time, and multilevel modelling was used to assess the development of symptom
severity and to assess the moderating effect of age-group and mode of delivery.
Results: A loglinear function representing large and statistically significant decline in
symptomatology over time provided the best fit for all measures of trauma-related symptomatology. The decline was not moderated by age-group or mode of intervention. Dropout
rates were independent of mode of intervention and age.
Conclusion: The adaption of the STEPS programme to adults and as an individual intervention is feasible and maintains effect sizes comparable to those observed in the original
intervention. Further research using randomized controlled trials is needed to ascribe the
observed effect to the STEPS programme.
treatment of trauma symptoms after rape for adolescents. The STEPS intervention was translated from Dutch to Danish and offered to adults in addition to adolescents as well as an
individual intervention in addition to a group-based intervention at a Danish Centre for Rape
Victims through 2011 to 2014. The programme was translated from Dutch to Danish and
expanded to adults in addition to adolescents as well as to an individual intervention in addition
to a group-based intervention at a Danish Centre for Rape Victims through 2011 to 2014.
Objective: The present study observes development in trauma symptoms and ICD-11
diagnostic status during an adapted version of the intervention programme ‘STEPS’ for
survivors of sexual assault.
Methods: A prospective uncontrolled study was conducted, monitoring symptoms of posttraumatic stress and other trauma-related symptomatology before treatment, after treatment
and at 6 and 12 months' follow up for 103 referrals receiving individual or group-based STEPS.
Tentative diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD were assigned
to participants according to the ICD-11 to observe the development in diagnostic status
across time, and multilevel modelling was used to assess the development of symptom
severity and to assess the moderating effect of age-group and mode of delivery.
Results: A loglinear function representing large and statistically significant decline in
symptomatology over time provided the best fit for all measures of trauma-related symptomatology. The decline was not moderated by age-group or mode of intervention. Dropout
rates were independent of mode of intervention and age.
Conclusion: The adaption of the STEPS programme to adults and as an individual intervention is feasible and maintains effect sizes comparable to those observed in the original
intervention. Further research using randomized controlled trials is needed to ascribe the
observed effect to the STEPS programme.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1701778 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-12 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 13 Jan 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 31 Dec 2020 |
Keywords
- Sexual assault
- rape
- PTSD
- CPTSD
- ICD-11
- treatment
- Intervention
- STEPS