Citation

Flett RA, Kazantzis N, Long NR, Macdonald C, Millar M, Clark B, Edwards H, Petrik AM. J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Nurs. 2012; 25(1): 25-32.

Affiliation

Ross A. Flett, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology; Nigel R. Long, PhD, is Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and External Relations); Carol MacDonald, PhD, is Assistant Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Nikolaos Kazantzis, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Bronwyn Clark, BA, is a research assistant, School of Psychology; and Edward Howards, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in Statistics, Institute of Information & Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. Michelle Millar, MA, is a research officer, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wellington, New Zealand. Alexandra M. Petrik, BPsySc, is a doctoral candidate, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1744-6171.2011.00311.x

PMID

22299804

Abstract

PROBLEMS:  In order to better understand the long-term impact of child sex abuse, this study examined the association between women's experience of abuse, health symptoms, and psychological distress in adulthood. There is limited information about child abuse outside the United States. METHODS:  Nine hundred sixty-one women participated in a structured interview. RESULTS:  Participants who had experienced abuse (13%) were significantly more vulnerable to psychological distress in adulthood if they were younger, less satisfied with their standard of living, and resided in urban areas. CONCLUSION:  Dissemination and evaluation of therapies for the treatment of sex abuse in the New Zealand context is warranted.

Language: en