WOMENS SELF-ESTEEM - A COMMUNITY STUDY OF WOMEN WHO REPORT AND DO NOTREPORT CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE

Background. The determinants of self-esteem have been little studied i n non-clinic samples. It has been suggested recently that child sexual abuse (CSA) may be a major determinant of low self-esteem in adulthoo d. Method. The psychosocial circumstances associated with tow self-est eem in two random samples of women. one reporting CSA, the other not, were compared, with particular emphasis on characteristics of family o f origin. A two-phase (postal-then-interview) random community study a ssessed self-esteem and related variables. Results. Psychosocial varia bles predicting low self-esteem were the same in the two groups. They included being a follower or a loner, having an overcontrolling mother , being poorly qualified, giving a history of depressive disorder and displaying current psychiatric disorder. In addition, the subject's CS A status led to tow self-esteem but only when it was of the most intru sive type. The CSA women had a substantially lower mean total self-est eem score. However, not all aspects of self-esteem were diminished equ ally; 12/30 items differed between the two groups, and two of the five generated self-esteem factors, which we named Pessimism and Fatalism, which differed between the control group and the whole CSA group. The re were no differences for Likeability and Determination. Conclusions. Predictors of low self-esteem for women include childhood temperament , a poor relationship with the mother, low qualification attainment, p sychiatric morbidity, both previous and current, and, only when it is the most intrusive, CSA.