1933 - IMPROVING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF FILIPINO NON-OFFENDING CAREGIVERS : AN EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION

Session: D06S008 - Clinical Intervention 3
AUTHORS:
Bandija Maria Margarita Ii (UST ~ Manila ~ Philippines) , Delariarte Clarissa (DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY ~ MANILA ~ Philippines)
Abstract text:
Child sexual abuse remains a pervasive issue in the Philippines, with non-offending caregivers, referred to as the "overlooked victims", experiencing significant psychological distress following disclosure. Recognizing their essential role in the recovery of child survivors, this study sought to develop and implement an evidence-based intervention aimed at improving the psychological well-being of Filipino non-offending caregivers and strengthening their capacity to respond effectively to the challenges associated with child sexual abuse. A total of 107 caregivers, aged 26 to 78, completed the Ryff Psychological Well-Being (PWB) Scale. The majority were biological mothers (72%) from poor to low socioeconomic backgrounds (93%), with a significant proportion reporting intrafamilial sexual abuse (57%). Findings revealed that most non offending caregivers experienced low to average psychological well-being, with nearly half (45%) reporting low levels of well-being. Focus group discussions supported these findings and identified key needs, including emotional and psychological support, safety, access to social services, accurate information, and coping skills development. Based on these findings, an intervention program tailored to the specific needs of non-offending caregivers was developed and piloted with 32 participants exhibiting low psychological well-being. Post-intervention analysis revealed significant improvements in the intervention group's well-being, with scores increasing from a pre-test mean of 2.58 (SD = 0.20) to 4.54 (SD = 0.36) at Post-Test 1, and further to 4.72 (SD = 0.27) at Post-Test 2, demonstrating both effectiveness and sustained impact of the intervention. These findings highlight the importance of involving non-offending caregivers in the support process, and underscore the need for culturally responsive, needs-based and integrated interventions to support caregiver well-being and improve family outcomes.