title: Anxiety Mediates the Relation Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Genito-Pelvic Pain in Adolescent Girls.
abstract: Previous research has demonstrated associations between child sexual abuse, anxiety, and genito-pelvic pain, but no study to date has examined whether sexual abuse may be associated with genito-pelvic pain through victims' elevated anxiety. The present study aimed to determine whether anxiety mediates the relationship between child sexual abuse and genito-pelvic pain. Using self-report questionnaires, data were gathered from 218 sexually active adolescent girls recruited from seven metropolitan high schools. As expected, results revealed a significant indirect effect of sexual abuse on the development of genito-pelvic pain through trait anxiety. This study thus suggests that anxiety may be one of the mechanisms by which child sexual abuse leads to an increased risk of developing genito-pelvic pain in this population.
authors.affiliation: a Université de Montréal , Département de Psychologie , Montréal , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santerre-Baillargeon
authors.affiliation: a Université de Montréal , Département de Psychologie , Montréal , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vézina-Gagnon
authors.affiliation: a Université de Montréal , Département de Psychologie , Montréal , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daigneault
authors.affiliation: a Université de Montréal , Département de Psychologie , Montréal , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Landry
authors.affiliation: a Université de Montréal , Département de Psychologie , Montréal , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8601-761X
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergeron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D056650:Vulvodynia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*