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


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Peleikis
Dawn E
DE
Department of Psychiatry, Aker University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 21, 0320, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. pel@online.no
Mykletun
Arnstein
A
Dahl
Alv A
AA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007179:Incest / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D015995:Prevalence; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires