| Abstract |
The incidents of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) are rapidly increasing in Pakistan. This case study is presenting the psychosocial problems of an 11 years old sexually abused girl who was attempting to commit suicide by encircling a rope in her neck at home; meanwhile her mother brought her in emergency department of psychiatric ward of a public Hospital. The presenting complaints were persistent crying, shouting, restlessness, aggressiveness, and reluctance to talk and diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode. The first task of psychiatrist was to make the child feel relaxed and calm down. So, Ketamine infusion therapy was introduced and later oral medicines and counseling sessions were held. The entire case was carefully handled under the supervision of a trained therapist. First few sessions were about rapport building, taking history, and applying relaxation exercises. Child was less talkative, looked afraid, felt hopeless, and in denial thus, play therapy including toys, blocks, dolls, drawings, and games to help the child recognize, identify, and verbalize feelings, was introduced. Gradually, child depicted her traumatic experiences of being sexually abused in the form of drawings and writing stories. This was quite appalling and a sensitive matter specially for parents as they were unaware regarding actual reason behind their child’s sufferings. Hence, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Catharsis, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring were used to overcome child’s depressed feelings. Twenty sessions were held including follow-ups to teach coping strategies and to escape relapse.
Keywords: Case Study, Depression, Psychotherapies, Sexual Abuse.
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