DEPRESSION, DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AND DISCLOSURE IN SEXUALLY ABUSED-CHILDREN

Objective. To investigate the relationship between sexual abuse disclo sure, developmental level and psychopathology in children. Design. A r etrospective analysis of case records, using chi-square and t-tests fo r statistical significance, Setting. Child and Adolescent Unit, Midlan ds Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, Subjects. One hundred children consecut ively admitted for all types of mental health problems. Outcome measur es. Diagnostic evaluations were made using the American Psychiatric As sociation's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised). Results. Forty of the 100 children had been sexual ly abused, but 14 (35%) of the abused children did not disclose their abuse until after admission. The postadmission disclosure group had a significantly higher mean age (13.71 years) than the pre-admission dis closure group (10.96 years). Also, significantly more postadmission di sclosure children received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder th an their pre-admission disclosure counterparts. Conclusion. The study highlights the issue of sexual abuse disclosure and its relationship t o depression and developmental level. Internal psychological and devel opmental mechanisms appear to influence the disclosure/non-disclosure of sexual abuse.