title: Self-injurious behaviors, PTSD arousal, and general health complaints within a treatment-seeking sample of sexually abused women.
abstract: Eighty-nine adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse, presenting for psychological treatment, were assessed for self-reported rates of self-injurious behaviors (SIB), health complaints, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of physiological arousal. A composite measure of current SIB was significantly and positively associated with health complaints, PTSD arousal, and three measures of sexual abuse severity: age of onset for sexual abuse, injury experienced during the sexual abuse, and perceived life threat. Tests of mediation revealed that symptoms of PTSD arousal mediated the relationship between earlier age of onset for sexual abuse and SIB. PTSD arousal moderated the relationship between sexual-abuse-related injury and SIB. SIB was a unique predictor of health complaints, even after controlling for sexual abuse severity and PTSD arousal.
authors.affiliation: Saint Louis University, USA.
authors.forename: Terri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chard
authors.forename: Mindy B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mechanic
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Etzel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012650:Self Disclosure; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health