scholarly journals The impact of sexual abuse on female development: Lessons from a multigenerational, longitudinal research study

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope K. Trickett ◽  
Jennie G. Noll ◽  
Frank W. Putnam
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Female Development ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis is a report on the research design and findings of a 23-year longitudinal study of the impact of intrafamilial sexual abuse on female development. The conceptual framework integrated concepts of psychological adjustment with theory regarding how psychobiological factors might impact development. Participants included 6- to 16-year-old females with substantiated sexual abuse and a demographically similar comparison group. A cross-sequential design was used and six assessments have taken place, with participants at median age 11 at the first assessment and median age 25 at the sixth assessment. Mothers of participants took part in the early assessments and offspring took part at the sixth assessment. Results of many analyses, both within circumscribed developmental stages and across development, indicated that sexually abused females (on average) showed deleterious sequelae across a host of biopsychosocial domains including: earlier onsets of puberty, cognitive deficits, depression, dissociative symptoms, maladaptive sexual development, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal attenuation, asymmetrical stress responses, high rates of obesity, more major illnesses and healthcare utilization, dropping out of high school, persistent posttraumatic stress disorder, self-mutilation,Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disordersdiagnoses, physical and sexual revictimization, premature deliveries, teen motherhood, drug and alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. Offspring born to abused mothers were at increased risk for child maltreatment and overall maldevelopment. There was also a pattern of considerable within group variability. Based on this complex network of findings, implications for optimal treatments are elucidated. Translational aspects of extending observational research into clinical practice are discussed in terms that will likely have a sustained impact on several major public health initiatives.

Sexual Revictimization: The Impact of Attachment Anxiety, Accumulated Trauma, and Response to Childhood Sexual Abuse Disclosure

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inbal Brenner ◽  
Galit Ben-Amitay
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Neglect ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
Abuse Disclosure ◽  
Sexual Abuse Disclosure ◽  
Environmental Responses ◽  
Childhood Traumas ◽  
The Impact

It has been proposed that a complexity of personal, interpersonal, and environmental factors is related to sexual revictimization among childhood sexual abuse survivors. In this study, we investigated the relations between attachment dimensions, exposure to accumulated childhood traumas, reaction to childhood sexual abuse disclosure, and adult sexual revictimization. Participants were 60 Israeli women with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Seventy percent of the women reported adult sexual revictimization. Revictimization was related to higher attachment anxiety but not to higher attachment avoidance. Revictimization was also related to emotional and physical child abuse but not to emotional and physical child neglect. Revictimization rates were higher among women who had received negative environmental responses following childhood sexual abuse disclosure than among women who had received supportive reactions and those who had not disclosed childhood sexual abuse at all. Findings were significant even after controlling for severity of childhood sexual abuse. The findings emphasize the role of various contextual-interpersonal factors on revictimization vulnerability among the survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

scholarly journals Severity of Child Sexual Abuse and Revictimization: The Mediating Role of Coping and Trauma Symptoms

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Fortier ◽  
David DiLillo ◽  
Terri L. Messman-Moore ◽  
James Peugh ◽  
Kathleen A. DeNardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Avoidant Coping ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Modifiable Factors

Child sexual abuse (CSA) has consistently been associated with the use of avoidant coping; these coping methods have been associated with increased trauma symptoms, which have, in turn, been linked to increased risk for adult sexual revictimization. Given these previous findings, the purpose of the current study was to test a model that conceptualized the relationships among these variables. Specifically, CSA severity was conceptualized as leading to the use of avoidant coping, which was proposed to lead to maintenance of trauma symptoms, which would, in turn, impact severity of revictimization indirectly. This comprehensive model was tested in a cross-sectional study of a large, geographically diverse sample of college women. Participants were 99 female undergraduates classified as having experienced CSA who completed measures of abuse history, coping style, current levels of trauma symptoms, and adult sexual revictimization. Multivariate path analysis indicated that the data fit the hypothesized model for verbally coercive, but not physically aggressive, revictimization. Specifically, increased CSA severity was associated with the use of avoidant coping, which, in turn, predicted greater levels of trauma symptomatology and severity of sexual coercion in adulthood. Although cross-sectional in nature, findings from this study suggest that coping strategies and trauma symptoms may represent modifiable factors that place women at increased risk for verbally coercive sexual revictimization.

Behavioral Risk, Emotional Risk, and Child Abuse Among Adolescents in a Nonclinical Setting

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 896-901
Author(s):  
Roberta A. Hibbard ◽  
Gary M. Ingersoll ◽  
Donald P. Orr
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Problem Behavior ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Laxative Use ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
The Impact

In this replication study of adolescents in a nonclinical setting, the prevalence of reported problem behaviors, emotions, and abuse is evaluated, and the impact of abuse on multivariate emotional and behavioral risk is assessed. A total of 3998 students (69%) in a rural midwestern community in grades 7 to 12 participated in the study. Almost 20% of the students reported some form of physical and/or sexual abuse, with more girls than boys reporting sexual abuse (χ2 = 48.5, P < .001). Some problem behaviors (alcohol use) and emotions (trouble sleeping, difficulty with anger) were common among all adolescents and some were strongly associated with a history of abuse (especially, considering or attempting suicide, running away, laxative use, and vomiting to lose weight). Higher emotional and behavioral risk scores among abused students were confirmed. The effects of physical and sexual abuse on risk scores were independent and additive; no interaction was observed. An interaction of gender and sexual abuse on problem behavior was observed, with problem behavior being significantly greater among sexually abused bosultss. The reults confirm increased risk of problem behaviors and negative feelings among abused adolescents when compared with nonabused peers, and better define influences of gender and abuse type on emotional and behavioral risks.

scholarly journals Depression and anxiety before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: a longitudinal cohort study with university students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virgínia da Conceição ◽  
Inês Rothes ◽  
Ricardo Gusmão ◽  
Henrique Barros
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Portuguese Version ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundFor young people, just as in the general population, COVID-19 caused many changes in their lives, including an increased risk for mental illness symptoms. We aimed to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in anxiety and depression symptoms in a cohort of university students.MethodsThis study is part of broader longitudinal research on university students’ mental health with data of the Portuguese version of The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Portuguese version of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) with evaluations on January, May and October 2019 and June 2020, as well as socio-demographic information.Results341 university students (257 females and 84 males) were included, with a mean age of 19.91 (SD=1.58). In June 2020, the mean for perceived wellbeing loss was 60.47% (SD=26.56) and 59.54% (SD=28.95) for mental health loss. The proportion of students with scores equal to or above 15 in the PHQ-9 ranged between 22.6% and 25.5% in 2019 and 37.0% in June 2020. The proportion of GAD-7 scores above cut-off ten ranged between 46.0% and 47.8% in 2019 and 64.5% in 2020. Compared with preceding trends, PHQ-9 scores were 3.11 (CI=2.40-3.83) higher than expected, and GAD-7 scores were 3.56 (CI=2.75-5.37) higher.DiscussionCOVID-19 impacted negatively depressive and anxiety symptoms, confirming previous studies and young people’s vulnerability in such uncertain times.

scholarly journals A Systematised Review of the Health Impact of Urban Informal Settlements and Implications for Upgrading Interventions in South Africa, a Rapidly Urbanising Middle-Income Country

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Weimann ◽  
Tolu Oni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Informal settlements are becoming more entrenched within African cities as the urban population continues to grow. Characterised by poor housing conditions and inadequate services, informal settlements are associated with an increased risk of disease and ill-health. However, little is known about how informal settlement upgrading impacts health over time. A systematised literature review was conducted to explore existing evidence and knowledge gaps on the association between informal settlement characteristics and health and the impact of informal settlement upgrading on health, within South Africa, an upper-middle income African country. Using two databases, Web of Science and PubMed, we identified 46 relevant peer-reviewed articles published since 1998. Findings highlight a growing body of research investigating the ways in which complete physical, mental and social health are influenced by the physical housing structure, the psychosocial home environment and the features of the neighbourhood and community in the context of informal settlements. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research investigating the temporal impact of informal settlement upgrading or housing improvements on health outcomes of these urban residents. Informal settlements pose health risks particularly to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people with suppressed immune systems, and are likely to aggravate gender-related inequalities. Due to the complex interaction between health and factors of the built environment, there is a need for further research utilising a systems approach to generate evidence that investigates the interlinked factors that longitudinally influence health in the context of informal settlement upgrading in rapidly growing cities worldwide.

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity of Stellate Sturgeon in the Lower Danube River: The Impact of Habitat Contraction upon a Critically Endangered Population

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1115
Author(s):  
Daniela Nicoleta Holostenco ◽  
Mitică Ciorpac ◽  
Elena Taflan ◽  
Katarina Tošić ◽  
Marian Paraschiv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Genetic Structuring ◽  
The Danube River ◽  
Stellate Sturgeon ◽  
Loop Region ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

One of the last wild populations of the critically endangered stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) survives in the Danube River. Limited knowledge about the genetic structure, ecology, and evolution of this species led to poor and inconsistent management decisions with an increased risk for species extinction in the wild. Here we show the results of genetic structure screening of the Danube River wild population over 12 years timespan. Our research does not bring evidence of population recovery. No genetic structuring was identified at the mitochondrial level concerning spawning migration timing, sampling locations, and developmental stages. Eleven maternal lineages were revealed based on restriction fragment lengths analysis of the D-loop region, with one haplotype as the most frequent. While this could be the result of a massive restocking activity using a reduced number of spawners, our data does not support it. The selection of mitochondrial haplotypes under the pressure of habitat contraction and the narrower range of temperature variation since dams’ construction on the river could explain the observed distribution. Several factors of managerial concern are discussed. Our results provide baseline data on the mtDNA diversity in a critically endangered species of exceptionally high socioeconomic and conservation interest.

scholarly journals Early Cortisol and Inflammatory Responses to Parental Cancer and Their Impact on Functional Impairment in Youth

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 576
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hayes ◽  
Jacob Brent ◽  
Yongqi Zhong ◽  
Shervin Bazmi ◽  
Giovanna Porta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Parental Cancer ◽  
Stress Group ◽  
Biological Stress ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Purpose: Chronic stress is associated with increased risk for maladaptive psychological responses during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Adults exposed to chronic stress during childhood exhibit dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and inflammation. There are no studies examining the impact of stress on biological stress responses and functional impairment in adolescents and young adults early after the onset of a stressor. Methods: The sample consisted of 59 offspring, aged 11–25 years, 33 of parents diagnosed with cancer and 26 controls from families with no cancer or severe chronic illness in parents or siblings. Cancer patients and their families were recruited within an average of 62 days (SD = 35.9) and followed at 6 and 9 months later. Functional impairment was assessed and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), salivary cortisol, and inflammatory markers were measured. Mixed regression analyses were conducted. Results: The stress group showed higher functional impairment (β = −5.5, 95% CI (−10.4, −0.06), p = 0.03, d= −0.40) and HCC (β = 10.5, 95% CI (−5.5, −0.50), p < 0.001, d = 1.43). However, HCC were reduced over time in the stress group (β= −0.3, 95% CI (−0.04, −0.01), p < 0.001, d = −1.08). Higher total cortisol output was associated with increased functional impairment over time (β = −3.0, 95% CI (−5.5, −0.5), p = 0.02, d = −0.60). Conclusions: Parental cancer is associated with early increase in cortisol, which was associated with increased functional impairment in offspring. Clinicians need to assess and monitor psychiatric symptoms and functioning in these offspring early on following parental cancer diagnosis.

Zinc Depletion Increases Readmission in Older Patients: An Example of Interactions Between Nutrition and Disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 87 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salah Gariballa ◽  
Awad Alessa
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Prognostic Indicators ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poor Nutrition

Abstract. Background: ill health may lead to poor nutrition and poor nutrition to ill health, so identifying priorities for management still remains a challenge. The aim of this report is to present data on the impact of plasma zinc (Zn) depletion on important health outcomes after adjusting for other poor prognostic indicators in hospitalised patients. Methods: Hospitalised acutely ill older patients who were part of a large randomised controlled trial had their nutritional status assessed using anthropometric, hematological and biochemical data. Plasma Zn concentrations were measured at baseline, 6 weeks and at 6 months using inductively- coupled plasma spectroscopy method. Other clinical outcome measures of health were also measured. Results: A total of 345 patients assessed at baseline, 133 at 6 weeks and 163 at 6 months. At baseline 254 (74%) patients had a plasma Zn concentration below 10.71 μmol/L indicating biochemical depletion. The figures at 6 weeks and 6 months were 86 (65%) and 114 (70%) patients respectively. After adjusting for age, co-morbidity, nutritional status and tissue inflammation measured using CRP, only muscle mass and serum albumin showed significant and independent effects on plasma Zn concentrations. The risk of non-elective readmission in the 6-months follow up period was significantly lower in patients with normal Zn concentrations compared with those diagnosed with Zn depletion (adjusted hazard ratio 0.62 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.99), p = 0.047. Conclusions: Zn depletion is common and associated with increased risk of readmission in acutely-ill older patients, however, the influence of underlying comorbidity on these results can not excluded.

Thrombophilia and risk of VTE recurrence according to the age at the time of first VTE manifestation

VASA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Weingarz ◽  
Marc Schindewolf ◽  
Jan Schwonberg ◽  
Carola Hecking ◽  
Zsuzsanna Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor V Leiden ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazards ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Factor V ◽  
Factor V Leiden Mutation ◽  
Younger Patients ◽  
Risk Of Recurrence ◽  
G20210a Mutation ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Background: Whether screening for thrombophilia is useful for patients after a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a controversial issue. However, the impact of thrombophilia on the risk of recurrence may vary depending on the patient’s age at the time of the first VTE. Patients and methods: Of 1221 VTE patients (42 % males) registered in the MAISTHRO (MAin-ISar-THROmbosis) registry, 261 experienced VTE recurrence during a 5-year follow-up after the discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. Results: Thrombophilia was more common among patients with VTE recurrence than those without (58.6 % vs. 50.3 %; p = 0.017). Stratifying patients by the age at the time of their initial VTE, Cox proportional hazards analyses adjusted for age, sex and the presence or absence of established risk factors revealed a heterozygous prothrombin (PT) G20210A mutation (hazard ratio (HR) 2.65; 95 %-confidence interval (CI) 1.71 - 4.12; p < 0.001), homozygosity/double heterozygosity for the factor V Leiden and/or PT mutation (HR 2.35; 95 %-CI 1.09 - 5.07, p = 0.030), and an antithrombin deficiency (HR 2.12; 95 %-CI 1.12 - 4.10; p = 0.021) to predict recurrent VTE in patients aged 40 years or older, whereas lupus anticoagulants (HR 3.05; 95%-CI 1.40 - 6.66; p = 0.005) increased the risk of recurrence in younger patients. Subgroup analyses revealed an increased risk of recurrence for a heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation only in young females without hormonal treatment whereas the predictive value of a heterozygous PT mutation was restricted to males over the age of 40 years. Conclusions: Our data do not support a preference of younger patients for thrombophilia testing after a first venous thromboembolic event.

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