HISTORY OF CHILD-ABUSE - A KEY VARIABLE IN CLIENT RESPONSE TO SHORT-TERM TREATMENT

A family service counseling program was studied to assess the efficacy of short-term treatment. Previous research indicating effectiveness of short-term treatment did not control for a history of childhood abuse as a factor affecting treatment outcome. This study of 39 adult outpatient clients showed that after 3 to 6 sessions of treatment, those with no history of childhood abuse showed clinically and statistically significant improvement in their anxiety and depression as measured by the Beck anxiety and depression inventories. Clients with a history of childhood abuse showed no change after the short-term intervention in either anxiety or depression.