Adult female victims of child sexual abuse: multitype maltreatment and disclosure characteristics related to subjective health.
This study examined the impact of child sexual abuse and disclosure characteristics on adult psychological and psychosomatic symptoms. Data on abuse characteristics, disclosure-related events, and subjective health were collected through semistructured interviews and questionnaires from 123 adult women reporting having been sexually abused in childhood by someone close. The results indicate that disclosure-related events have a stronger relation than abuse characteristics to long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse. In particular, a positive reaction from a partner was related to fewer symptoms. Of the abuse characteristics, exposure also to physical abuse was strongly associated to psychological sequelae.
Jonzon
Eva
E
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm.
Lindblad
Frank
F
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D016387:Women's Health