- Title
- Impact of sexual assault characteristics and childhood maltreatment on adult psychopathology
- Creator
- Macks, Tamar R.
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2013
- Description
- Masters Coursework - Master of Clinical Psychology (MPsych(Clin))
- Description
- This study used a retrospective design to investigate the impact of sexual assault (SA) severity characteristics as well as different types of childhood maltreatment experiences on current adult psychopathology. Participants (N = 24) were recruited from a Sexual Assault Service with 20 reporting exposure to childhood sexual assault (CSA). Childhood maltreatment and sexual assault characteristics were measured using the Traumatic Event Checklist. Current adult psychopathology (PTSS, dissociation, depression and Alcohol misuse) were measured using the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, the Dissociative Events Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The mean scores for the sample indicated that PTSS was in the moderate to severe range; dissociative symptoms were below clinical levels; depressive symptoms were in the severe range and alcohol misuse was in the low-risk range. This study found that: SA with force-related strategies had higher levels of adult dissociation; SA by more than one perpetrator had more severe adult depression; and older age of SA onset was associated with higher levels of alcohol misuse. There were no differences in adult PTSS, dissociation, depression and alcohol misuse for the perpetrator being a close family member, longer duration and higher number of SA occasions. CSA and childhood emotional abuse developmental scores were associated with dissociation. CSA scores were also associated with lower levels of alcohol misuse. Childhood physical abuse and childhood neglect did not associate with any of the adult psychopathologies. The pattern of associations between SA characteristics was investigated. Consistent with previous research, childhood maltreatment types were all associated with each other. The findings support previous studies that have found SA perpetrated with force or threat of force increased the range of psychopathology of the trauma response. The development of negative self-schema may mediate the association between more than one perpetrator of SA and adult depression. An older onset age of SA may influence the higher use of alcohol as an adult by being more available as a coping strategy at the time of the SA. The different types of childhood maltreatment contributed differently to PTSS, dissociation, depression and alcohol misuse. Further investigation into trauma-related predictors of adult psychopathology as well as the development of a standardised (retrospective) childhood maltreatment questionnaire is recommended.
- Subject
- sexual assault; sexual assault severity; sexual assault characteristics; childhood maltreatment; posttraumatic stress; dissociation; depression; alcohol misuse
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1045288
- Identifier
- uon:14438
- Rights
- Copyright 2013 Tamar R. Macks
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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