Psychomotor therapy targeting sexual abuse in adults with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning Outcomes from a multiple baseline across subjects study

Activity: Lecture / PresentationAcademic

Description

Posterpresentation
Keywords
Body- and movement-oriented intervention, sexual abuse, body experience, mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning, multiple case study.
Background
Sexually abused adults with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF) have reported not only behavioural and psychological problems but also body-related problems.
Methods
Within a multiple baseline across subjects’ design, three participants weekly self-reported on personal problems and goals during baseline and intervention period. In addition to client-defined outcomes, symptom-based outcomes were measured using standardized instruments.
Aim/Results
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes of a recently developed psychomotor intervention to improve body experience, regulation of arousal, and emotions and adaptive coping skills. The personal problems and goals were defined around these themes. Two out of the three participants show significant positive change in their goals between baseline and intervention (Tau-U 0.55, 0.65, p<0.05). One of the three participants also showed a significant decrease of two problems (Tau-U 0.62, 0.71, p<0.05). Furthermore, all three participants showed a decrease in trauma related symptoms during treatment. No adverse side-effects and no drop-outs were reported.
Conclusions
Findings support benefits of psychomotor therapy on client-defined outcomes and symptom-based outcomes. The results indicate the feasibility and potential value of the experience-based intervention treating body-related problems. Future research using larger samples is warranted.
Period21 Sept 202323 Sept 2023
Event title14th Congress of EAMHID 2023
Event typeConference
Locationhelsinki, FinlandShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational