Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Tonic immobility in childhood sexual abuse survivors and its relationship to posttraumatic stress symptomatology
- Author:
- HUMPHREYS Kathryn L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(2), February 2010, pp.358-373.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Although research has thus far focused on the role of peritraumatic dissociation and fear in the development of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), research has also shown that another set of peritraumatic responses may be related to PTSD. Past research shows that 37% to 52% of sexual assault survivors reported experiencing a set of peritraumatic responses, which include gross motor inhibition, analgesia, and fixed or unfocused staring - a response set closely resembling a set of unconditioned responses, collectively known as Tonic Immobility (TI). This study examined TI among childhood sexual abuse survivors and its relationship to PTSD symptomatology. 131 female college undergraduates participated in a questionnaire assessing their sexual abuse history, TI, and PTSD symptom severity. Results showed that TI partially mediated the relationship between peritraumatic fear and overall PTSD severity and completely mediated the relation between fear and the PTSD symptoms. Although peritraumatic fear is associated with TI, the mediation findings provided evidence for the perception that these responses are separate from one another. These results suggest that TI during childhood sexual abuse may play an important role in the subsequent PTSD symptomatology in adulthood. The authors conclude that the relationships discovered may provide useful information for therapists working with sexual abuse victims, leading to the inclusion of TI assessment as part of the clinical process.
Clinical characteristics related to severity of sexual abuse: a study of seriously mental ill youth
- Authors:
- MCCLELLAN Jon, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(10), October 1995, pp.1245-1254.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Examines demographic, social, and clinical variables related to sexual abuse histories in a sample of severely mentally ill youth. Sexual abuse histories were quite common in this sample. Sexually abused subjects had increased rates of inappropriate sexual behaviours, substance abuse, and post-traumatic reactions; and were frequently exposed to other confounding environmental risk factors, including physical abuse, family problems and social chaos.
Child sexual abuse and risk of revictimization: impact of child demographics, sexual abuse characteristics, and psychiatric disorders
- Authors:
- PAPALIA Nina, MANN Emily, OGLOFF James R.P
- Journal article citation:
- Child Maltreatment, 26(1), 2021, pp.74-86.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Approximately half of child sexual abuse (CSA) victims report sexual revictimization later in life; however, there is limited rigorous evidence concerning factors contributing to sexual and nonsexual forms of revictimization. This article investigates the relationships between CSA and a range of revictimization experiences. It also examines the role of other individual-level factors (demographics, CSA characteristics, psychiatric disorders) in the risk of revictimization. The study compares data from a prospective-longitudinal study of 2,759 Australian children (<17 years old) alleged to have experienced contact–CSA between 1964 and 1995, and a comparison group matched on sex and age. In each case, CSA was deemed likely to have occurred according to expert forensic medical opinion. Abused children and comparisons were followed to age 35 years on average, and their lifetime official crime victimization histories and public mental health service records were extracted from statewide population-level administrative databases. Relative to comparisons, CSA victims experienced significantly higher rates of revictimization, with marked elevations in odds for interpersonal revictimization (i.e., sexual assault, physical assault, threats of violence, and stalking). The CSA–physical assault relationship was moderated by sex, with a stronger association for female victims. Among CSA victims, victim sex, age at index abuse, and several psychiatric diagnostic categories were independently associated with revictimization risk, with different patterns of vulnerability emerging depending on the nature of revictimization. Overall, CSA victims are vulnerable to a range of revictimization experiences later in life. Findings have implications for the identification of particular groups of sexually abused children at heightened risk for revictimization and the role mental health services may play in mitigating risk. (Edited publisher abstract)
Does information about neuropsychiatric diagnoses influence evaluation of child sexual abuse allegations?
- Authors:
- LAINPELTO Katrin, ISAKSSON Johan, LINDBLAD Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 25(3), 2016, pp.276-292.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study aimed at investigating if attitudes toward children with neuropsychiatric disorders influence evaluations concerning allegations of child sexual abuse. Law students (n = 107) at Stockholm University, Sweden, were presented a transcript of a mock police interview with a girl, 11 years of age. This interview was based on a real case, selected as a “typical” example from these years concerning contributions from the interviewer and the alleged victim. After having read the transcript, the students responded to a questionnaire concerning degree of credibility, if the girl talked about events that had really occurred, richness of details, and if the narrations were considered truthful and age-adequate. Fifty-four of the students were also told that the girl had been given the diagnoses of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Asperger syndrome. Students who were informed about the diagnoses gave significantly lower scores concerning credibility of the interviewee. To a lesser degree they regarded her narrations as expressions of what had really occurred and considered her statements less truthful. Furthermore, they found that the narrations contained fewer details. Finally, they found the girl less competent to tell about abuse. We conclude that a neuropsychiatric disorder may infer risks of unjustified skeptical attitudes concerning trustworthiness and cognitive capacity. (Publisher abstract)
Lifetime prevalence of multiple victimizations and its impact on children’s mental health
- Authors:
- CYR Katie, CLEMENT Marie-Eve, CHAMBERLAND Claire
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(4), 2014, pp.616-634.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This study sought to document lifetime experiences of individual categories of victimizations and polyvictimization using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire among children from the province of Quebec (Canada) to examine whether polyvictimization predicts mental health symptoms and to assess whether categories of victimization still contribute to mental health symptoms after considering polyvictimization. Polyvictimization accounted for the most variability in scores for depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression compared with individual victimization categories. None of the individual categories of victimization made an independent contribution to the prediction of trauma scores, once polyvictimization was considered. (Publisher abstract)
Child abuse and neglect in the UK today
- Authors:
- RADFORD Lorraine, et al
- Publisher:
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 203p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report presents new research findings from the NSPCC on child maltreatment in the United Kingdom. The research aimed to provide up to date information on the prevalence and impact of child maltreatment, and to compare rates of childhood experiences reported by young adults interviewed in 2009 with rates reported in an earlier NSPCC study in 1998-9. The study looked at children’s and young adults’ experiences of childhood maltreatment at home, in school and in the community. This first report presents the findings from this research on the prevalence, impact and severity of child maltreatment. The study involved interviews with a random probability sample of parents, young people and young adults about their experiences of child abuse and neglect. The sample consisted of: 2,160 parents or guardians of children aged under 11 years; 2,275 young people aged 11-17 years with additional information from their parents or guardians; and 1,761 young adults aged 18-24 years. The findings show that the rates of child maltreatment reported by young adults aged 18–24 are lower in 2009 than in 1998. However, significant minorities of children and young people in the UK today are experiencing severe maltreatment and this is associated with poorer emotional wellbeing, self-harm, suicidal ideation and delinquent behaviour.
Pathological dissociation as measured by the child dissociative checklist
- Authors:
- WHERRY Jeffrey N., NEIL Debra A., TAYLOR Tamara N.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 18(1), 2009, pp.93-102.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The component structure of the Child Dissociative Checklist was examined among abused children. A factor described as pathological dissociation emerged that was predicted by participants being male. There also were differences in pathological dissociation between groups of sexually abused and physically abused children. Replication of this factor and the establishment of base rates for various groups of children are recommended so that the Child Dissociative Checklist might be used to more effectively eliminate false positives and increase true positives in the screening and ultimate treatment of dissociative children.
The effect of lifetime victimization on the mental health of children and adolescents
- Authors:
- TURNER Heather A., FINKELHOR David, ORMROD Richard
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 62(1), January 2006, pp.13-27.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This paper examines the cumulative prevalence of victimization and its impact on mental health in a nationally representative sample of 2030 children aged 2–17 in the USA. Telephone interviews conducted with both caregivers and youth revealed socio-demographic variations in lifetime exposure to most forms of victimization, with ethnic minorities, those lower in socio-economic status, and those living in single parent and stepfamilies experiencing greater victimization. Sexual assault, child maltreatment, witnessing family violence, and other major violence exposure each made independent contributions to levels of both depression and anger/aggression. Other non-victimization adversities also showed substantial independent effects, while in most cases, each victimization domain remained a significant predictor of mental health. Results suggest that cumulative exposure to multiple forms of victimization over a child's life-course represents a substantial source of mental health risk.
Sexually inappropriate behaviors in seriously mentally ill children and adolescents
- Authors:
- ADAMS Julie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(5), May 1995, pp.555-568.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Examines the prevalence and clinical correlates of sexually inappropriate behaviours in all youth treated at a tertiary care public sector psychiatric hospital over a 5-year period. Those with histories of sexually inappropriate behaviours had much higher rates of being sexually abused, and also had higher rates of physical abuse and neglect, behaviour disorders, developmental problems, and family histories of antisocial behaviour. They were less likely to have affective disorders. The hypersexual group had a higher proportion of females, and was associated in part with variables relating to sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder. The more severe offending groups (exposing and victimizing) were associated with variables related to sexual abuse, developmental delays, lower IQ's, peer problems, and other acting-out behaviour problems. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating for sexually inappropriate behaviours in seriously mentally ill youth, especially in those with histories of sexual abuse.
Child sexual abuse and mental health in adolescents and adults: British and Canadian perspectives
- Author:
- BAGLEY Christopher
- Publisher:
- Avebury
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 238p.,tables,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Aldershot
Research study looking at children and young people whose long term mental health has been undermined by sexual abuse and exploitation, focusing in particular on Britain and Canada. Includes a chapter on sexual and physical child abuse and the development of dissociative personality traits or multiple personality disorder.