The Effect of Sexual Abuse on Posttraumatic Psychiatric Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Sexual Abuse.
10.5765/jkacap.2015.26.1.38
- Author:
Eun Young SHIN
1
;
Keun Ah CHEON
;
Kyungun JHUNG
;
Dong Ho SONG
;
So Hyang KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. dhsong@yuhs.ac
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Adolescent;
Child Abuse, Sexual;
Psychopathology
- MeSH:
Adolescent*;
Anxiety;
Checklist;
Child Abuse, Sexual;
Child*;
Depression;
Disclosure;
Helianthus;
Humans;
Intelligence;
Psychopathology;
Seoul;
Sex Offenses*
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2015;26(1):38-44
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the characteristics of victim and sexual abuse on posttraumatic psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents with a history of sexual abuse. METHODS: A total of 137 children and adolescents were recruited from the Seoul Sunflower Children Center, a nation-funded sexual violence victim protection center, from January 2009 to December 2013. We collected the demographic data of the victims and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) from victims. We hypothesized victims' age, sex, and intelligence quotient, and the characteristics of sexual abuse as the affecting factors of posttraumatic psychiatric symptoms. Descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were performed for analysis of demographic data, TSCC scores, and psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: The victims' age and the characteristics of sexual abuse were significantly related to the traumatic distress of sexual abuse. R-square was 23% for anxiety, 39% for depression, 21% for posttraumatic stress, and 37% for dissociation on TSCC. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that victims' age, type, frequency and duration of exposure, and disclosure of sexual abuse are significant affecting factors on posttraumatic psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents. Exploration of psychiatric symptoms other than posttraumatic symptoms, and relations between pretraumatic and posttraumatic psychiatric symptoms is needed through collection of larger samples.
