Long-term Mental Health Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Introduction One of the most serious forms of abuse is sexual abuse (SA), especially when the victims are children. Questions still remain: what actual long-term consequences of child sexual abuse effect the mental health of children. Objectives Examined-68 people (22 boys, 46 girls) having detected by physicians fact of SA, and recognized as victims in legal status. The group was split by age (3-6 years), and by the type of SA: family abuse and extrafamilial abuse. Group of 38 children – catamnesis study over a 5-year period. Aims To reveal long-term mental health consequences of child SA taking into accountd the type (family and extrafamilial). Methods All the children were examined repeatedly during the follow-up period, clinically and paraclinically by psychiatrist (clinical observation, dialog with the child and parents), by neurologist and clinical psychologist (projective techniques and standardized personality questionnaires). Results and Conclusions Psychopathologic consequences of SA are divided into acute (reaction to stress), subacute (6 months after the trauma) and remote (observation during 5 years). In acute and subacute period the disorders are qualified as acute reaction to stress and PTSD. In long-term period clinical characteristics were defined as conduct disorder (personality development disorder), primarily of mixed type. In the structure of remote psychopathologic presentations, especially as the consequences of family SA are – hyperemotivity, neuroticism (trichologia, onychophagia, enuresis and encopresis, asthenic syndrome and subdepressive syndrome, obsessive fears, dysmorphophobia and others). In prepubertal period-runaways, promiscuity, early alcoholization, taking drugs, behavior as a victim, sex-role identification disorder.