Balancing Positive Outcomes with Vicarious Traumatization: Participants' Experiences with Group Treatment for Long-Term Effects of Childhood Abuse

A total of 30 adult survivors of childhood abuse were interviewed approximately 6 months after completing a 6-week inpatient program for traumatic stress recovery. Their progress was assessed by standardized instruments that measured PTSD symptoms, general psychiatric symptoms, trauma-related beliefs, and self-esteem at discharge, 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. Most interviewees spoke positively about their treatment experience, and were maintaining gains at 6-month follow-up. Six (20%) of the interviewees, however, reported some negative effects from their participation in process groups, including vicarious traumatization (VT). Compared with the other 24 interviewees, the six who reported VT had more previous hospitalizations, and poorer scores on measures of treatment gains at the 6-month follow-up, as assessed by the standardized measures. Implications for screening survivors for group treatment are discussed.