SynthesisPsychology and psychotherapy2025
How do people with a history of sexual abuse experience talking therapies for sexual trauma? A systematic review of qualitative findings.
Synthesis in Psychology and psychotherapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- How do people with a history of sexual abuse experience talking therapies for sexual trauma? A systematic review of qualitative findings.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2025Pooled it
- Unfinished business: A grounded theory analysis of change among individuals classified as numerical non-responders to psychodynamic psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder related to childhood maltreatment.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis systematic review investigated the qualitative experiences of sexual abuse survivors in talking therapy treatments with respect to the helpful and hindering aspects of therapy.
methodsSearches were conducted on five databases; PubMed, Web of Science, PyscInfo, PsycArticles and PsycExtra and through searching reference lists. Papers were included where they provided qualitative primary data of client experiences of therapy, did not involve specialist clinical populations and were written in English. Papers were included irrespective of whether study participants had experienced sexual abuse in childhood, adulthood or both. Studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist. Meta-study was used to analyse the results.
resultsFour themes were generated: (1) helpful therapy relies on choice, autonomy, and the freedom to choose when to speak and what to speak on, (2) engagement relies on considerations of the complexity of recovery from sexual abuse, (3) feeling cared for and connected with the therapist is important and (4) a sensitive and thoughtful end of therapy can bring positive holistic emotional and lifestyle changes.
conclusionsThis study provides clinical insights into the helpful aspects of therapy, facilitating a safe therapeutic engagement, and managing an effective and sensitive transition into recovery. These themes are considered in relation to understanding supportive factors in therapy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.