Relationship between dissociation, childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and mental illness in a general population sample
Mulder, Roger T.
Relationship between dissociation, childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and mental illness in a general population sample Mulder, Roger T.; Beautrais, Annette L.; Joyce, Peter R.; Fergusson, D.M. (David Murray) - Arlington, Va. American Psychiatric Publishing 1998 - American Journal of Psychiatry .
American Journal of Psychiatry 155(6) June 1998 : 806-811
This article discusses a study that examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, current psychiatric illness, and measures of dissociation in an adult population. The authors were interested to see whether there was a direct relationship between childhood abuse and dissociative symptoms scores in adulthood. In particular, they wanted to investigate the relationship between sexual and physical abuse, the relationship between abuse and mental illness, and the relationship between mental illness and measures of dissociation. A randomly selected sample of 1,028 individuals completed a semistructered face-to-face interview that included measures of childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, DSM-III-R psychiatric diagnoses, and selected items from the Dissociative Experiences Scale. It was found that 6.3% of the general population suffered from three or more frequently occurring dissociative symptoms. Childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and current psychiatric illness were all related to high scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. However, the relationship between these factors showed that the effects of sexual abuse were not direct, but were due to the association of childhood sexual abuse with current psychiatric disorder and the association of childhood sexual abuse with childhood physical abuse. Childhood physical abuse was directly related to high scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. The authors point out that these findings call into question the hypothesised direct relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult dissociative symptoms.
0002-953X
CHILD NEGLECT
DEMOGRAPHICS
MENTAL HEALTH
PHYSICAL ABUSE
STATISTICS
WOMEN
CHILD ABUSE
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Relationship between dissociation, childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and mental illness in a general population sample Mulder, Roger T.; Beautrais, Annette L.; Joyce, Peter R.; Fergusson, D.M. (David Murray) - Arlington, Va. American Psychiatric Publishing 1998 - American Journal of Psychiatry .
American Journal of Psychiatry 155(6) June 1998 : 806-811
This article discusses a study that examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, current psychiatric illness, and measures of dissociation in an adult population. The authors were interested to see whether there was a direct relationship between childhood abuse and dissociative symptoms scores in adulthood. In particular, they wanted to investigate the relationship between sexual and physical abuse, the relationship between abuse and mental illness, and the relationship between mental illness and measures of dissociation. A randomly selected sample of 1,028 individuals completed a semistructered face-to-face interview that included measures of childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, DSM-III-R psychiatric diagnoses, and selected items from the Dissociative Experiences Scale. It was found that 6.3% of the general population suffered from three or more frequently occurring dissociative symptoms. Childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and current psychiatric illness were all related to high scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. However, the relationship between these factors showed that the effects of sexual abuse were not direct, but were due to the association of childhood sexual abuse with current psychiatric disorder and the association of childhood sexual abuse with childhood physical abuse. Childhood physical abuse was directly related to high scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. The authors point out that these findings call into question the hypothesised direct relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult dissociative symptoms.
0002-953X
CHILD NEGLECT
DEMOGRAPHICS
MENTAL HEALTH
PHYSICAL ABUSE
STATISTICS
WOMEN
CHILD ABUSE
SEXUAL VIOLENCE