Factors predicting PTSD, depression, and dissociative severity in female treatment-seeking childhood sexual abuse survivors.

OBJECTIVE

Two main questions were asked: (1) what abuse characteristics relate to PTSD, depressive, and dissociative severity in adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA); and (2) what abuse characteristics influence the severity of dissociation during CSA.

METHOD

89 female CSA survivors' current symptoms of PTSD, depression, and dissociation were assessed with standardized measures. Additionally, abuse characteristics (e.g., age of onset, peritraumatic dissociation) were assessed with a structured interview.

RESULTS

Correlational analyses indicated that peritraumatic dissociation was most strongly related to all three types of symptom severity. Additional posthoc correlational analyses revealed that women who experienced penile penetration, believed someone/thing else would be killed, and/or were injured as a result of the abuse exhibited more severe peritraumatic dissociation. Regression analyses indicated that peritraumatic dissociation was the only variable to significantly predict symptom severity across symptom type or disorder. Furthermore, different abuse characteristics predicted adult symptom severity and peritraumatic dissociation.

CONCLUSIONS

The relation between peritraumatic dissociation and adult symptomatology was most intriguing and has two main clinical implications: (1) teaching engagement strategies to some CSA survivors in hopes of containing dissociative symptoms immediately following the abuse and (2) the inclusion of exposure-based interventions in the treatment of some adult CSA survivors where indicated.