Childhood sexual abuse as a precursor to depression and self‐destructive behavior in adulthood

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) as a predictor of depression and self-destructive behaviors in adulthood was examined relative to other traumatic stressors in childhood and adulthood with special attention to sex differences. In a college sample of 173 men and 265 women, 16% of male (n = 28) and 24% of female respondents (n = 63) reported having been sexually abused as children. CSA, ranging from unwanted kissing and fondling to unwanted sexual intercourse, predicted depression, chronic self-destructiveness, self-harm ideation, acts of self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts, for both men and women. The more frequent and severe the sexual abuse and the longer its duration, the more depression and self-destructiveness reported in adulthood. Other stressors predicted these effects less consistently but their occurrence in combination with CSA contributed to the negativity of long-term outcomes. Study results affirm previous findings of a relationship between CSA and depression and self-destructiveness in adult females and extend them to males.

Psychological Distress and Intimate Physical and Sexual Abuse among Women in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programs

“…The study's findings expand on past evidence regarding the high prevalence of depression among abused women (Browne 1993;Gilbert et al 1997) and among women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (Boudewyn and Liem 1995;Hien et al 2000). They also support the associations between intimate partner abuse and psychological distress, even after controlling for the confounding effects of a history of childhood sexual abuse and drug use.…”

“…Other studies show a relationship between a history of childhood abuse and a woman's psychological distress. There is considerable evidence that adolescents or adults who have experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse have adjustment difficulties, including depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety (Briere and Runtz 1988;Carlin and Ward 1992;Boudewyn and Liem 1995), PTSD (Weissmann-Wind and Silvern 1992;Lucenko, Gold, and Cott 2000), or other psychiatric symptomatology. Women abused in adulthood often report a history of childhood sexual or physical abuse (Briere 1990;Weissmann-Wind and Silvern 1992;Gilbert et al 1997;Cohen et al 2000;El-Bassel et al 2000;Gilbert et al 2000).…”

Maternal versus paternal physical and emotional abuse, affect regulation and risk for depression from adolescence to early adulthood

“…Historically, researchers focused on the effects of sexual and physical abuse on risk for adult depression due to the profoundly damaging effects of such experiences (e.g., Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Gibb et al, 2001;Kaplan, Pelcovitz, & Labruna, 1999).…”

The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: Toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science.

“…Sexual abuse in childhood leaves individuals vulnerable to a number of untoward psychological experiences in adulthood such as anxiety, depression, chronic self-destructiveness, and suicidality (e.g., Boudewyn & Liem, 1995 ;Briere & Runtz, 1993 ). A longitudinal study of boys at risk for delinquency found that paternal alcoholism was a strong risk predictor of alcoholism in the son decades later ( McCord, 1988 ).…”