Psychological defense styles in women who report childhood sexual abuse: a controlled community study.

OBJECTIVE: The psychological defense styles of women who reported childhood sexual abuse were assessed and compared to those of women without childhood sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects in a random community sample (N = 354) of New Zealand women were interviewed and completed two relevant questionnaires, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. RESULTS: Women reporting childhood sexual abuse showed more immature defense styles, and those who experienced the most severe childhood sexual abuse showed the most immature styles. Dissociation, however, as measured on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, was not linked to childhood sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting childhood sexual abuse was associated with more immature coping styles, although not dissociation, in this community sample of women. Coping styles are likely to be a major mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases rates of later psychological problems.     

Clinical differences between patients with nonepileptic seizures who report antecedent sexual abuse and those who do not

Purpose: To investigate clinical differences between patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) who report antecedent sexual abuse, and patients who do not.
Methods: In a consecutive series of 176 patients with video-EEG confirmed PNES without epilepsy, we compared patients who reported antecedent sexual abuse with those who did not report sexual abuse, in respect of a range of demographic and clinical variables.
Results: Fifty-nine women (45%) and 5 men (11%) reported sexual abuse. Those reporting sexual abuse had earlier onset PNES (28.5 vs. 33.1 years, p = 0.0319) and greater delay from onset to diagnosis (median 5.2 vs. 3.2 years, p < 0.0137). They more often drew social security benefits (p = 0.0054) and were less often in cohabiting relationships (p = 0.0006). Those who reported sexual abuse had poorer mental health on a range of indicators. Their spells were more often "convulsive" (p = 0.0419), were more severe (p = 0.0011), were more likely to have emotional triggers (p = 0.0045) and to include prodromes (p = 0.0424) and flashbacks (p < 0.0001). A history of nocturnal spells (p = 0.0109), injury during spells (p = 0.0056), and incontinence during spells (p = 0.0083) were also more common in the patients reporting sexual abuse.
Discussion: Our results suggest that patients with PNES who report sexual abuse have more severe PNES, are more likely to have PNES with features that suggest epilepsy, and are psychiatrically more unwell than those who do not report sexual abuse.     

Concordance about childhood sexual abuse among depressed patients 50 and over and their family and friends.

In post-mortem studies of suicide, informant sources are often relied upon to provide information to identify correlates of suicide and suicidal behavior. While previous research has shown that informants can supply reliable information about patients' recent stressful life events, it is unknown whether informants and patients provide concordant data about adverse early life experiences such as childhood sexual abuse. This study examined concordance between patient and informant reports of childhood sexual abuse in a sample of depressed patients 50 years and older. Patients and informants (n=88 pairs) independently responded to items from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Informants' reports of patients' severe sexual abuse histories were in high agreement with patients' reports; concordance was significantly lower, however, for milder forms of sexual abuse. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and limitations of collecting sensitive information about patients' early life experiences in research designs utilizing informant report, including postmortem studies of suicide that use psychological autopsy methodology.     

The psychopathology of bulimic women who report childhood sexual abuse: the mediating role of core beliefs.

Although reported sexual abuse in childhood is associated with bulimic behaviors, less is known about the cognitive factors that explain this association. This study examined the potential role of core beliefs as a mediator in the abuse-bulimia link. Sixty-one bulimic women were interviewed regarding any history of childhood sexual abuse and completed measures of bulimic behaviors, dissociation, depression, and core beliefs. The 21 women who reported a history of childhood sexual abuse had significantly higher levels of several core beliefs and greater levels of psychopathology. Different core beliefs acted as mediators in the relationships between sexual abuse and individual symptoms. The findings support the suggestion that schema-focused cognitive therapy may be useful in working with bulimics, particularly if they have been sexually abused in childhood. Further research is needed to determine the role of core beliefs in mediating the impact of other forms of trauma and how traumas relate to other "escape" behaviors.     

Preliminary report on childhood sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among middle-aged and older depressed women.

OBJECTIVE: Authors examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse histories and suicidal ideation and behavior among depressed women age 50 years and older. METHODS: After admission to a psychiatric unit, participants were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R and measures of suicidal ideation and behavior. RESULTS: Women who reported abuse histories were more likely to report suicidal ideation at the time of hospitalization and a history of multiple suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings underscore the need for more study of how childhood abuse amplifies risk for suicidal ideation and behavior among women across the life course.     

Current mental health in women with childhood sexual abuse who had outpatient psychotherapy.

PURPOSE: This study from Norway examines mental health status of women with child sexual abuse (CSA) who formerly had outpatient psychotherapy for anxiety disorders and/or depression. The relative contributions of CSA and other family background risk factors (FBRF) to aspects of mental health status are also explored. SUBJECTS: At a mean of 5.1 years after outpatient psychotherapy, 56 female outpatients with CSA and 56 without CSA were personally examined by an independent female psychiatrist. Systematic information about current mental health and functioning was collected by structured interview and questionnaires. RESULTS: Among women with CSA 95% had a mental disorder, 50% had PTSD, and mean global assessment of functioning (GAF) score was 61.8+/-10.6. In contrast, 70% of women without CSA had a mental disorder, 14% had PTSD, and mean GAF 71.2 + 8.5. GAF and trauma scale scores were mainly determined by CSA, while FBRF mainly influenced the global psychopathology and dissociation scores. DISCUSSION: We have little knowledge on the mental health status at long-term in women with CSA who had psychotherapy. This study found their mental status to be rather poor, and worse than that of women without CSA who had psychotherapy for the same disorders. From the broad spectrum of mental disorders associated with CSA, this study concerns only women treated as outpatients for anxiety disorders and/or non-psychotic depressions. CONCLUSION: Women with CSA showed poor mental health at long-term follow-up after treatment. The fitness of the psychodynamic individual psychotherapy given, or to what extent treatment can remedy the consequences of such childhood adversities, is discussed.     

Persisting hallucinations following childhood sexual abuse

Hallucinations can persist for many years after childhood sexual abuse. If we recognise this, we will not mis-diagnose psychosis and we may treat with psychotherapy (talk). The hallucinations are distinct from hallucinations in schizophrenia though patients have frequently been given that diagnosis. They would generally be classified as pseudo-hallucinations. They are generally self-referential. They can involve all sensory modalities. Three case reports illustrate this link. Methods for interviewing and providing ongoing help are discussed. Issues in phenomenology and diagnosis are considered. Post-traumatic stress disorder is the best diagnostic fit, though psychotic depression may explain some cases. Freud's case of Frau P (1896) was an early report of this link.     

Substance abuse as a symptom of childhood sexual abuse.

The recovery process of a 37-year-old woman with adult onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is presented. The patient had suffered childhood sexual abuse and had self-medicated for many years with drugs and alcohol to maintain the dissociation of memories of abuse and to facilitate interpersonal functioning. Upon onset of PTSD, the patient's substance abuse became a full-blown addiction that was highly resistant to treatment. It became evident that her substance abuse symbolically repeated her traumatization. In reexperiencing the affects associated with her earlier trauma (despair, denial, shame, and helplessness) as part of her substance abuse and in the transference, the patient was able to gain mastery over these affects and, subsequently, was able to achieve a stable recovery from both illnesses.     

Implications of childhood trauma for depressed women: an analysis of pathways from childhood sexual abuse to deliberate self-harm and revictimization

OBJECTIVE: Data from depressed women with and without a history of childhood sexual abuse were used to characterize clinical features that distinguished the two groups and to examine relationships of childhood sexual abuse to lifetime deliberate self-harm and recent interpersonal violence. METHOD: One hundred twenty-five women with depressive disorders were interviewed and completed self-report questionnaires. Path analysis was used to examine relationships of several childhood and personality variables with deliberate self-harm in adulthood and recent interpersonal violence. RESULTS: Women with a childhood sexual abuse history reported more childhood physical abuse, childhood emotional abuse, and parental conflict in the home, compared to women without a childhood sexual abuse history. The two groups were similar in severity of depression, but the women with a childhood sexual abuse history were more likely to have attempted suicide and/or engaged in deliberate self-harm. The women with a history of childhood sexual abuse also became depressed earlier in life, were more likely to have panic disorder, and were more likely to report a recent assault. Path analysis confirmed the contributory role of childhood sexual abuse to deliberate self-harm and the significance of childhood physical abuse for recent interpersonal violence. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood sexual abuse is an important risk factor to identify in women with depression. Depressed women with a childhood sexual abuse history constitute a subgroup of patients who may require tailored interventions to combat both depression recurrence and harmful and self-defeating coping strategies.     

抑郁症患者与非抑郁症人群中儿童期虐待与社会支持的关系

目的 研究抑郁症患者与非抑郁症人群中儿童期虐待与社会支持的关系。方法 本研究 采用非匹配的病例对照研究，对2014 年1 月至2017 年12 月北京安定医院符合入排标准的研究对象进行 研究，共连续纳入224 例抑郁症患者及214 例非抑郁症人群。采用调查问卷（自编）收集研究对象的基本 信息（年龄、性别、婚姻状态、教育水平、工作状态、吸烟史及体质量指数）、疾病史、精神疾病家族史；采 用儿童期虐待问卷中文版（CTQ-SF）评估研究对象16 岁前的经历；采用社会支持评定量表（SSRS）评估 研究对象在过去生活状态中获得的社会支持情况，包含客观支持、主观支持和支持利用3 个维度。采 用单因素分析对抑郁症患者与非抑郁症人群进行基本资料、CTQ-SF及SSRS 评分的比较，采用多因素 Logistic 回归分析影响成年期患者抑郁发生的因素。结果 抑郁症患者中有儿童期虐待经历者（93 例， 41.52%）多于非抑郁症人群（51 例，23.8%），差异有统计学意义（χ2=15.51，P ＜ 0.01）。多因素Logistic 回 归分析显示，儿童期虐待是成年期抑郁的重要危险因素（OR=2.030，95%CI：1.302～3.164）。抑郁症患者 社会支持总分［（32.33±7.45）分］、主观支持［8（6，10）分］、客观支持［17（14，21）分］及支持利用度得分 ［6（5，8）分］均低于非抑郁症人群［分别为（36.79±6.24）、9（7， 11）、20（17， 23）、8（6， 9）分］，差异均有统 计学意义（均P＜0.01）。抑郁症患者中，有儿童期虐待者社会支持得分［（30.41±7.99）分］、主观支持得分 ［7（5，9）分］、客观支持得分［（16.57±4.78）分］均低于无儿童期虐待经历者［分别为（33.70±6.76）、9（7，10）、 （18.53±4.35）］，差异均有统计学意义（均P ＜ 0.01）；非抑郁症人群中，有儿童期虐待者主观支持得分 ［8（6，10）分］低于无儿童期虐待经历者［9（7，11）分］，差异有统计学意义（P ＜ 0.01）。结论 儿童期虐 待是成年期抑郁症及获得社会支持的重要影响因素。     

Correlates of suicide risk in adolescent inpatients who report a history of childhood abuse

The study objective was to examine correlates of suicide risk in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents with a reported history of childhood abuse. Predictors of suicide risk were examined in 74 subjects who reported a history of childhood abuse and 53 depressed subjects who did not report a history of childhood abuse. Subjects completed a battery of psychometrically well-established self-report instruments to assess childhood abuse, suicide risk, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Correlational analyses showed that higher levels of depression, self-criticism, and hopelessness were significantly associated with suicide risk in both study groups and violence was significantly associated with suicide risk in the childhood abuse group. For the childhood abuse group, multiple regression analyses with seven predictor variables accounted for 54% of the variance in suicide risk; depression and alcohol problems made significant independent contributions, while violence and self-criticism were independent predictors at the trend level. For the depressed/nonabused group, multiple regression analyses with the seven predictor variables accounted for 60% of the variance in suicide risk; depression, hopelessness, and self-criticism were independent predictors. Our findings suggest that both internalizing (i.e., depression or self-criticism) and externalizing (i.e., violence or alcohol) factors predict suicide risk in adolescent inpatients who report childhood abuse. This profile appears different from the more internalizing pattern (i.e., depression, self-criticism, and hopelessness) observed for the depressed adolescent inpatients who reported no history of childhood abuse.     

Psychological and behavioral functioning in adolescent psychiatric inpatients who report histories of childhood abuse

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine psychological and behavioral functioning in psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents who report histories of childhood abuse. METHOD: Three hundred twenty-two subjects completed an assessment battery of psychometrically well-established instruments. Childhood abuse was assessed by using the childhood abuse scale of the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory. Childhood abuse scores of 30 or less and 70 or greater were used to create two study groups--no abuse (N = 93) and high abuse (N = 70), respectively. The two study groups were compared demographically and on the battery of instruments. RESULTS: The two groups differed substantially on most measures of psychological disturbance examined by the assessment battery. When age and depression level were controlled, the high-abuse group was characterized by significantly higher levels of dependency, suicidality, violence, impulsivity, substance use problems, and borderline tendency. Correlational analyses with the entire study group (N = 322) revealed that higher levels of these psychological problems were positively associated with higher levels of childhood abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents who report childhood abuse present with a constellation of symptoms that, after removing the effects of depression, are consistent with borderline personality in statu nascendi.     

Long-term effects of intrafamilial sexual abuse in childhood

This study reports results from follow-up interviews with 301 women aged 18–44 years who were first identified 2 years earlier in a cross-sectional study of 1498 adults in the general population of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The prevalence of intrafamilial sexual abuse was 13%. This incestuous sexual abuse in childhood was associated with an increase in many adult mental symptoms, particularly symptoms of depression, bulimia and generalized anxiety. In this community study the consequences associated with sexual abuse within the family appear to be widespread and not very specific, and show as additional comorbidity rather than as increased severity within a disorder. These results do not support the strong direct causal effects postulated in some theories derived from clinical studies.     

Variables in delayed disclosure of childhood sexual abuse

In a study of 41 adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, the level of childhood traumatization was found to have contributed to delayed disclosure of the abuse. Other delaying variables included: belief in the importance of obedience to grownups, mistrust of people, fear of social rejection, and fear of the criminal justice system. Variables such as media attention to similar cases and experiences of personal achievement were inversely related to the age at disclosure. Recommendations for policy are discussed.     

Liminality,art therapy and childhood sexual abuse

Abstract

This article discusses the relevance of liminality for art therapy and childhood sexual abuse. ‘Liminality’ comes from the Latin word limen and refers to our encounters with, and experiences of, thresholds. Social anthropologists have studied liminality in the context of rite-of-passage rituals that commonly mark social and personal transitions, for example at puberty, marriage and death. I make two claims for the relevance of liminality in thinking about childhood sexual abuse. The first is that abused children become liminal personae (threshold-people) through their premature sexual knowledge and experiences. As we will see, in the anthropological literature liminal personae are considered to be anxiety-provoking. I believe that anthropological ideas can help us to make sense of public, media and government responses to the anxiety provoked by childhood sexual abuse. My second claim makes a link between liminality and trauma and brings together ideas about the breaching of thresholds, annihilation anxiety and experiences of the sublime. We will see that liminality is intimately linked with trauma and is therefore relevant for many art therapy clients. Images allow unspeakable traumatic experiences to be acknowledged and explored, which makes art therapy a particularly effective intervention for children traumatised by sexual abuse.