Kirsi White, Tracy Clemans, and Craig Bryan, University of Utah
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sexual exploitation is correlated with high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a well-established risk factor in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but to date there are few studies examining these issues among survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. The purpose of the current study is to assess the relationships among suicidal ideation and suicide attempts with trauma among adolescent female survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia. We plan to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation within a sample of commercially exploited children. Data are being collected as a part of a pilot study evaluating the feasibility of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for the treatment of PTSD among 13 adolescent female survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia. We will collect data from baseline interviews with 13 female adolescent participants with ages ranging from 14 to 19 years old, using the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI; Nock et al., 2007). To see if there is change in suicidal ideation from the baseline assessment to the completion of the study, we will look at the 13 participants’ responses to SITBI items at the 1 week follow up and the 3 month follow up assessments. The results in the current study will provide information on rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in a unique sample of adolescents, and will provide preliminary information about the effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in this population.