The impact of childhood sexual abuse on psychological distress among women in New Zealand.
OBJECTIVE
In order to better understand the long-term impact of child sex abuse, this study examined the association between women's experience of abuse, health symptoms, and psychological distress in adulthood. There is limited information about child abuse outside the United States.


METHODS
Nine hundred sixty-one women participated in a structured interview.


RESULTS
Participants who had experienced abuse (13%) were significantly more vulnerable to psychological distress in adulthood if they were younger, less satisfied with their standard of living, and resided in urban areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Dissemination and evaluation of therapies for the treatment of sex abuse in the New Zealand context is warranted.
School of Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Ross A
RA
Flett
Nikolaos
N
Kazantzis
Nigel R
NR
Long
Carol
C
MacDonald
Michelle
M
Millar
Bronwyn
B
Clark
Howard
H
Edwards
Alexandra M
AM
Petrik
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D049668:History, 15th Century; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult