Psychological distress among women who were sexually abused as children

Abstract

One of the aims of the study was to investigate how participants in self‐help groups (SHG) for women (n = 87) who had been sexually abused in childhood rated their mental health and to what extent they were at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A further aim was to investigate the relationship between the ratings of mental health, occurrence of PTSD, women's interpersonal relationships, reasons for participating in an SHG and characteristics of the childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The participants completed questionnaires regarding their personal relationships, reasons for joining a group, abuse characteristics, mental health (Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised) and PTSD (Impact of Event Scale‐Revised). The women showed poor mental health, and more than half of them were at risk of developing PTSD. Lack of social support and feelings of shame correlated with poor mental health, whereas guilt did not. Relationships with female friends had a positive association. Further research is needed to determine whether participating in an SHG could provide adequate social support and reduce feelings of shame, thereby contributing to the healing process in the aftermath of CSA. Key Practitioner Message: • Child abuse is a significant component of the global burden of disease; • Both social workers and public health care providers meet sexually abused girls and it is important that they have knowledge about the subject; • An important clinical implication for adequate treatment would be to assess and recognise childhood sexual abuse and to link diagnosis to trauma.

A scoping review of adult survivors’ experiences of shame following sexual abuse in childhood

“…The quantitative studies demonstrate the centrality of shame, finding the presence of shame mediated a range of psychological outcomes, including the effectiveness of group psychotherapy on reducing PTSD symptoms (Ginzburg et al, ), sexual revictimisation in adulthood (Kessler & Bieschke, ) and body surveillance and alexithymia (Watson, Matheny, Gagné, Brack, & Ancis, ). Additionally, associations, were found between: shame and suicidal ideation (Kealy, Spidel, & Ogrodniczuk, ; Milligan & Andrews, ; You, Talbot, He, & Conner, ), self‐harming behaviours (Milligan & Andrews, ), dissociation (Talbot, Talbot, & Tu, ), body related trauma (Dyer, Feldman, & Borgmann, ), poor mental health (Rahm, Renck, & Ringsberg, ) and anxiety and depressive symptoms (Willie et al, ). CSA‐related shame also significantly correlated with HIV‐related shame (Willie et al, ).…”

“…Drawing on a community sample, Rahm et al, () quantitative study of psychological distress among women sexually abused as children, recruited from self‐help groups, found feelings of shame, but not guilt, correlated with poor mental health. Talbot et al, () in a clinical sample of 99 women with and without a history of CSA accessing psychiatric services, found that higher levels of shame proneness is associated with higher levels of dissociation, especially among women who had experienced CSA.…”

Effects of surgical repair of obstetric fistula on severity of depression and anxiety in Ethiopia

“…Women with obstetric fistula are socially stigmatised and marginalised, psychologically affected and economically deprived, and often suffer a traumatic birth experience [9–11]. These situations are correlated with mental health problems [12–14].…”

“…Obstetric fistula associated with mental health problems is one of the most burdensome diseases among women in their early productive years. Studies in low-income countries, including Ethiopia, report that women with fistula have a significantly higher incidence of symptoms of depression, psychosocial dysfunction and anxiety [11, 15].…”

“…The continued focus on physical intervention/treatment means that women will continue to suffer the salient burden of the associated mental health ailments, which can compromise the recovery process. Despite this burden, which is prevalent in most of the developing sub-Saharan Africa countries including Ethiopia [11, 15], there is a limited amount of literature on the effects of the surgical repair of obstetric fistula on the severity of depression and anxiety. Thus, this study determines the effects of surgical repair of obstetric fistula on the severity of depression and anxiety in Ethiopia.…”