Childhood sexual abuse. Women's health when starting in group therapy

Summary, in English

Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies, and among mentally ill women, 25-77%. These women often suffer from depression, anxiety, sexual and relationship problems. Suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviour are common. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year-long trauma-focused group therapy. They were well educated but 27% were unemployed. Nearly half of the group had made suicide attempts, 87% had had suicidal thoughts and, according to the questionnaire SCL-90, they were suffering from psychiatric symptoms significantly to a greater degree than both a general group and a clinical group with mixed diagnoses. According to the questionnaire ISSI, they were less well socially integrated than both a general group and a clinical group, and the degree of social adjustment according to the questionnaire SAS-SR was lower than in a general group. The study shows that childhood sexually abused women seeking therapy are a symptom-burdened group. These women probably need psychiatric treatment of a particular character. Special group therapy for these women can potentially improve their health.

• Författare: Gunilla Lundqvist; Carl Göran Svedin; Kjell Hansson
• Avdelning/ar: Barn- och ungdomspsykiatri; Socialhögskolan
• Publiceringsår: 2004
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 25-32
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
• Volym: 58
• Issue: 1
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039480310000752
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Informa Healthcare
• Ämne: Psychiatry
• Nyckelord: Group therapy; Sexual abuse; Women's health
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1502-4725