Predictors of Development of Adult Psychopathology in Female Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of resilience and adult mental disorders in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a family practice center using adult female (age 18-40) patients. Outcome measures assessed the prevalence of major depressive episode, panic disorder, agoraphobia, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, bulimia, and suicidality. Seventy-six percent of the 90 women with sufficient data met criteria for at least one adult disorder. Mental health was related to high SES, lack of family alcohol abuse, lower frequency of first perpetrator abuse, and few perpetrators. Specifics of the abuse were associated with development of borderline personality disorder, substance abuse, major depressive episode, suicidality, bulimia, agoraphobia, and panic disorder. Maternal violence against the father, substance abuse within the household of origin, and maternal care and overprotection were also important. The specifics about the abuse and the family environment during childhood are important predictors of adult psychopathology.

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