Citation

Nash MR, Hulsey TL, Sexton MC, Harralson TL, Lambert W. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 1993; 61(2): 276-283.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996-0900.

Comment In:

J Consult Clin Psychol 1993;61(2):284-8; discussion 289-90

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8473581

Abstract

In this study, 105 abused and nonabused women were examined for patterns of adult psychopathology associated with childhood sexual abuse and to test the extent to which these patterns are independent of other pathogenic properties of the family environment. Clinical and nonclinical Ss completed the Family Environment Scale, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Rorschach, and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale. Greater nonspecific impairment among abused women may be a consequence, at least in part, of pathogenic family structure rather than sexual abuse per se. However, MMPI and Rorschach responses suggest sexual abuse may render victims especially vulnerable to specific disturbances involving soma and self. Abuse was associated with greater use of dissociation, but covariance analysis revealed this effect to be accounted for by family pathology. There was no evidence that sexual trauma is associated with hypnotizability.

Language: en