Long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse - Objective and subjective characteristics of the abuse and psychopathology in later life

This study investigates the association between objective and subjective ch aracteristics of childhood sexual abuse and psychopathology in later life. The sample consists of 404 Dutch female adults who had been sexually abused in their childhood or adolescence. The participants were recruited by mean s of articles about childhood sexual abuse in major Dutch newspapers. The c haracteristics and severity of the sexual abuse were assessed with the Ques tionnaire Unwanted Sexual Experiences in the Past (QUSEP). General psychopa thology was measured with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), the degree of dis sociation was measured with the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q). Stepwis e multiple regression analyses showed a moderate association between psycho pathology and objective characteristics of the abuse, such as number of dif ferent types of abusive events and the duration of the abuse. However, more strongly associated with later psychopathology were variables reflecting c oping style, such as the degree of self-blame, and circumstantial factors, such as the emotional atmosphere in the family of origin and the reactions after disclosure. Whether or not the abuse was incestuous did not explain a dditional variance in later psychopathology.