Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 7 of 7
Neurodevelopmental biology associated with childhood sexual abuse
- Authors:
- de BELLIS Michael D., SPRATT Eve G., HOOPER Stephen R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(5), September 2011, pp.548-587.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Child maltreatment appears to be the single most preventable cause of mental illness and behavioural dysfunction in the United States. This article reviews the psychiatric problems associated with maltreatment and the emerging biologic stress system research with a special emphasis on what is known about victimisation by sexual abuse. Data shows that the effects of traumatic stress on the developing brain may be severe and persistent. There are multiple mechanisms through which sexual abuse can cause post-traumatic stress disorder, activate biological stress response systems, and contribute to adverse brain development. However, there appear to be some factors that may be protective against this response. In theory, early interventions with maltreating parents, loving adoptive families, cognitive behavioural therapy and medications may lead to therapeutic reversibility of the adverse brain developmental effects of abuse.
Child abuse and autonomic nervous system hyporesponsivity among psychiatrically impaired children
- Authors:
- FORD Julian D., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 34(7), July 2010, pp.507-515.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This study was designed to assess the association of stress-related changes in autonomic nervous system activity with a history of either or both physical or sexual abuse among children and adolescents who briefly experienced a mildly painful non-interpersonal stressor (a routine blood draw). Documented incidents of abuse were recorded for the sample of 262 children at a residential treatment centre in Massachusetts serving high risk and seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. Changes in heart rate and blood pressure were assessed before and after the blood draw. The results suggested that a history of physical, but not sexual, abuse is associated with stressor-related autonomic nervous system down-regulation in psychiatrically impaired children, and that stressor-related autonomic hyporesponsivity secondary to physical abuse may contribute to the impairment of severely emotionally disturbed children.
The social work response to post-traumatic stress disorder in children: a cognitive-behavioural approach
- Authors:
- PARKER Jonathan, RANDALL Peter, GOFFIN Pauline
- Journal article citation:
- Behavioural Social Work Review, 17(1), May 1996, pp.52-62.
- Publisher:
- Cognitive Behavioural Social Work Group
Post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD) affects both children and adults. It can result from the traumatic experience of abuse in childhood. Knowledge of the syndrome and its effects is, however, limited. Thus important opportunities for interventions are missed. This paper describes a cognitive-behavioural approach to PTSD using case study material.
Exploration of mental health outcomes of community-based intervention programs for adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse
- Authors:
- YUN Sung Hyun, FIORINI Lydia
- Journal article citation:
- Groupwork, 29(2), 2020, pp.58-84.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical treatment for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Secondary data was used in the study, and a one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to compare pretest (n = 346) with posttest (n = 91) scores. The analysis shows statistically significant improvements with respect to depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD after treatment. There was no statistically significant difference between individual and mixed treatment (including group and individual counselling) regarding alleviating mental health symptoms. Despite a lack of statistical difference between treatments, the results confirm that interventions were equally effective in reducing negative mental health symptoms. The study contributes to the generation of evidence-based knowledge for treatment and its ability to reduce negative mental health symptoms for adult male survivors of CSA. It also informs practitioners of the utility of a male-specific treatment modality based on trauma-focused cognitive and behavioral therapies (TF-CBT) and the gender role strain paradigm (GRSP). (Edited publisher abstract)
Organic vs. functional neurological disorders: the role of childhood psychological trauma
- Authors:
- KARATZIAS Thanos, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 63, 2016, pp.1-6.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Although the relationship between psychological trauma and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) is well established, this relationship is less well understood in people with medically unexplained neurological symptoms. In the present study, the authors set out to compare people with functional neurological disorders, and organic neurological disorders, in terms of childhood and adulthood traumatic events, traumatic stress, emotional dysregulation and symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is hypothesised that those with functional neurological disorders would be more likely to report childhood and adulthood traumatic life events, traumatic symptomatology, emotional dysregulation and symptoms of anxiety and depression, compared to those with organic neurological disorders. Sample consisted of a consecutive series of people with functional neurological disorders and with organic neurological disorders (n = 82) recruited from a hospital in Scotland. Participants completed measures of life events, traumatic stress, emotional regulation, anxiety and depression. The two groups were found to significantly differ in relation to all measures, with the MUS group being more likely to report childhood and adulthood life events, more severe emotional dysregulation, traumatic stress and symptoms of anxiety and stress. Logistic regression analysis revealed that exposure to childhood traumatic life events, specifically childhood sexual abuse, and childhood physical neglect, were the only factors which were significantly associated with membership of the medically unexplained neurological symptoms group. Although further research is required to confirm the authors' findings, their results suggest that identifying and addressing the impact of childhood trauma, may alleviate distress and aid recovery from functional neurological disorders. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health impact of child sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner violence, and hate crimes in the National Lesbian Health Care Survey
- Authors:
- DESCAMPS Monica J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 11(1), 2000, pp.27-55.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Examines the prevalence and mental health sequelae of child sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner violence and hate crimes in a national sample of 1925 lesbians who participated as respondents in the National Lesbian Health Care Survey (1984-1985), the most comprehensive study on US lesbians to date. Analyses indicates that, relative to a comparison group, lesbians who had experienced child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence reported significantly more daily stress, depression, and alcohol abuse; those who had been raped reported significantly more depression and alcohol abuse; and those who had experienced hate crimes reported significantly more daily stress, depression and alcohol and drug abuse. Lesbians who experienced a physical hate crime reported significantly more daily stress and drug abuse compared to lesbians who experienced a physical assault that they did not perceive as hate-motivated.
A testament to pain
- Author:
- GAZE Harriet
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 5.3.98, 1998, p.12.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Reports on how a new book, Wednesday's Child by Bifulco and Moran, which draws on 20 years of research involving 800 London women. The research reveals the links between widespread abuse of women in childhood and clinical depression in later life.