Evaluating Seeking Safety for Women in Prison: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness of Seeking Safety on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with incarcerated women. Method: A randomized controlled trial (N = 40) was used to analyze Seeking Safety’s effectiveness compared to a treatment-as-usual control group. Analyses of covariance were used to assess differences at posttest (n = 33) and 4-month follow-up (n = 29) while repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess the influence of the intervention on changes over time (n = 29). The researchers also analyzed individual participants’ scores from pretest to 4-month follow-up (n = 29). Results: Both groups decreased their scores on the Center for Epidemiology Studies–Depression Scale and the PTSD Checklist, although improvement was greater for treatment group participants except for depression at 4-month follow-up. Conclusion: Results support the continued use of Seeking Safety as a helpful corrections-based intervention for women, but more research with larger sample sizes is needed to consider it an effective intervention.