Citation

Zaydlin M, Pérez-Laras L, Laras L. Cureus 2021; 13(3): e13644.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Curēus)

DOI

10.7759/cureus.13644

PMID

33824797

Abstract

Victims of childhood sexual abuse are at an increased risk for a multitude of mental health conditions. While many children exhibit concerning behavioral changes following abuse, there is often a delay in identification and implementation of psychiatric services, resulting in worsening mental and physical health outcomes for victims. This case series aims to demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary victim-centered and trauma-focused treatment including proactive psychiatric care. The review presents three cases of child victims of sexual abuse who received psychiatric care after their initial presentation to the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center (PRHJC). As evidenced by the following cases and extant literature, child victims of sexual abuse have an increased risk of severe mental health disorders. This indicates the importance of recognizing and understanding behavioral warning signs of childhood sexual abuse and the importance of psychiatric care as early as possible following disclosure.

Language: en

Keywords

• access to healthcare and health outcomes of vulnerable populations; access to healthcare; child abuse and neglect; child and adolescent psychiatry; child sexual abuse; clinical forensic medicine; mental health services; multidisciplinary decision-making; psychiatry and mental health