Esuba: A psychoeducation group for incarcerated survivors of abuse

Dominique E. Roe-Sepowitz, Laura E. Bedard, Kerensa N. Pate

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the effects associated with a trauma and abuse-focused psychoeducation group for incarcerated women on decreasing trauma symptoms. A total of 320 women participated in 34 groups in five prisons that followed a manualized intervention. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to examine changes on 10 Trauma Symptom Inventory subscales (Anxious Arousal, Depression, Anger/Irritability, Intrusive Experiences, Defensive Avoidance, Dissociation, Sexual Concerns, Dysfunctional Sexual Behavior, Impaired Self-Reference, and Tension Reduction Behavior). Analyses indicated significant improvement on all 10 trauma subscales. Small effect sizes were found on all of the subscales. The findings of this study are encouraging and are the first step toward more rigorous evaluation of this pilot program. These findings provide initial support for the use of group psychoeducation intervention to address traumatic stress symptoms with incarcerated women.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)190-208
Number of pages19
JournalInternational Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Volume58
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2014

Keywords

  • abuse
  • incarcerated women
  • posttraumatic stress
  • psychoeducation
  • trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Applied Psychology

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