Psycho-education Program BLAME-LESS and It's Effect on Traumarelated Shame and Guilt

The primary objective of the BLAME-LESS study is to examine the effectiveness of an online psychoeducation program, BLAME-LESS, compared to a waiting-list control group of adolescents (12 - 18 years) who experienced sexual or physical abuse in reducing trauma-related feelings of shame and guilt. The Shame and Guilt After Trauma Scale (SGATS) (Aakvaag et al., 2016) measures trauma-related shame and guilt. The SGATS consists of nine items, four on trauma-related feelings of shame and five on trauma-related feelings of guilt (Aakvaag et al., 2016). Each question can be answered on a 3-point Likert scale (0 = no, 1 = yes, a little, 2 = yes, a lot).

The second objective of the research is to examine the effects of the intervention on PTSD symptoms. The Dutch version of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screener (KJTS-NL; Kooij & Lindauer, 2019) is a questionnaire for children and adolescents that serves as a screening tool for PTSD symptoms (Sachser et al., 2017). The severity of PTSD symptoms is measured with 20 items, rated on a 4-point Likert scale (range 1-4). A total score below 15 suggests no (clinical) indication of the presence of a PTSD classification, a score between 15 and 20 suggests the possible presence of a clinical PTSD classification, and a score above 20 suggests an increased chance of the presence of a PTSD classification.

The third objective of the research is to examine the effects of the intervention on anxiety and depression symptoms. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS; Terwee et al., 2014) measures Anxiety and Depression symptoms. The lists consist of a dynamic set of item banks based on Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). Both questionnaires consist of 8 items. Each question can be answered as follows: never, almost never, sometimes, often, very often.

The fourth objective of the research is to examing the effects of the intervention on posttraumatic cognitions. The Child Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI; Meiser-Stedman et al., 2009) is a self-report questionnaire that measures trauma-related cognitions in children and adolescents. The questionnaire consists of two subscales (permanent and disturbing change subscale, CPTCI-PC; fragile person in a scary world subscale, CPTCI-SW) with a total of 25 items that can be answered on a four-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). The English version of the CPTCI has been validated in children aged-6-18 years. The Dutch CPTCI has good reliability and validity (Diehle et al., 2015), high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.86-0.93), and good convergent validity.

The fifth objective of the research is to examing the effects of the intervention on motivation to engage in traumafocused treatment and to disclose traumatic memories. The Treatment Program and Evaluation Questionnaire (TPEQ; Murphy et al., 2009) assesses readiness and motivation for trauma-focused treatments (Murphy et al., 2009). The questions were answered on a 7-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). A higher score indicates greater willingness and motivation for treatment.