“Dare to flourish”- The Growth Focused Intervention Program (GFIP) for female young adult victims of childhood sexual abuse: A pilot study

Pages:169-173
Nancy George and Lucilla O. Bance (Department of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines)

Any traumatic experience can leave a devastating and lasting impact on one’s life. And this is more true with childhood sexual abuse (CSA), if the trauma goes unattended. It will negatively affect the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual behavior of the victim in the daily life. But there is also another side to this trauma. It can cause positive changes or post traumatic growth (PTG) and this research focuses on this aspect. Among the many different factors that contribute to PTG, coping strategies play a predominant role to play. Realizing the need to enhance effective coping strategies for PTG, the researchers have developed a Growth Focused Intervention Program (GFIP). The GFIP is based on the integrated concepts of Cognitive Model, Adaptive Information Processing Theory, and the Theory of Meaning. The program was evaluated by seven experts from the field of mental health and a feasibility test was conducted among eight female young adult victims of CSA, having low level of coping capacities and less post traumatic growth. The program yielded good results in the participants, having an increased level of coping strategies and more enhanced post traumatic growth.