Abstract

This study examined the depression and trauma scores of seventy-nine Latina sexual assault survivors who received brief trauma-focused psychotherapy from a trauma treatment center between 2014 and 2016. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) was used to assess for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The PHQ-9 and the PCL-5 were administered prior to treatment, after three sessions of psychotherapy, and after six sessions of psychotherapy. The average age of the women on the study was 32.3 years. Just less than half (48.1%) were born in the United States, with the remainder being mostly (38%) born in Mexico. After receiving six sessions of psychotherapy, the Latina sexual assault survivors no longer met criteria for PTSD as measured by the PCL-5 and their depression scores significantly decreased. Latina sexual assault survivors benefit from receiving trauma-focused EBP treatment in community mental health centers to address PTSD and depression.