Citation

Schlachter L, Weiner S, Nash MR. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2009; 18(8): 859-871.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10926770903291803

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to investigate if adults sexually abused as children who were raised in a functional family are more able to generate specific autobiographical memories and suffer fewer depressive symptoms than sexually abused adults who were raised in a dysfunctional family. We found that abused males retrieved fewer specific memories than nonabused males, abused females, and nonabused females. The three latter groups did not differ from each other. Further, childhood sexual abuse did not predict depression among males and females. After accounting for family functioning, there were no group differences regarding memory specificity. Functional families appear to have beneficial effects on the adjustment of male victims of childhood sexual abuse.