Eastern DRCโค Study: Trauma-Focused Therapy Shows โPromise for Ex-Combatants with Histories of Childhood Sexual โAbuse
Kinshasa, DRC – A newโ sub-analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) reveals that Narrative Exposure Therapy โ(NET), a specialized psychotherapy, effectivelyโข reduces posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, aggression, and violent behavior in male former soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),โ even among those with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The findings, stemming from research originallyโข publishedโข by Koebach et al.in the Journal of โConsulting and Clinical Psychology [2021], highlight the critical need to address earlyโ trauma in post-conflict rehabilitation programs.
The study categorized former soldiers into groups based on CSA history,assessing lifetimeโฃ sexual assaults,perpetration of sexual violence,appetitive aggression,current violent behavior,and symptomsโค of PTSD and depression. Researchers found significantlyโ higher rates of re-experiencing sexual assaults – particularly by superiors -โ and perpetrating sexual assaultsโฃ among โฃthose withโ a history โคof CSA. This group also exhibited elevated baseline scores across all measured outcomes.
While both groups benefited from treatment,the NET group demonstrated significantlyโ greater โคreductions in appetitive aggression,PTSD โsymptoms,and depressive symptoms โฃcompared toโ those receiving โขtreatment as usual (TAU). Notably, individuals with a history of CSA showed superior improvements in current violent behavior with NET, achieving comparable scores to those withoutโค CSA after 6-9 months of treatment.
Researchers concluded that CSA is significantly associated โคwith increased risk of revictimization and perpetration of violence. The success of NET in this complexlyโค traumatized population is likely due to it’s ability to address trauma and perpetration chronologically and adapt to the specific challenges of CSA, ultimately contributingโฃ to violence reduction in post-conflict communities. The study underscores the importance of addressing revictimization during the rehabilitation of ex-combatants.