Socio-economic position in childhood and adulthood, intelligence, and mental health

Abstract

whether reactions vary for those with court-substantiated cases versus retrospectively self-reported cases, and whether psychiatric symptoms interact with sexual abuse history to produce more negative reactions. Method: Using a prospective cohort design, a large sample of abused childrenwerematchedwith non-abused controls on the basis of age, sex, race, and approximate family social class and interviewed in adulthood (n=420). Participants were 60.4%White non-Hispanic, 53.9% female, with amean age of 39.8 (SD=3.4). Reactions to research participation were measured with eight items from the Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire (RRPQ; Newman,Willard, Sinclair, &Kaloupek, 2001). Current and lifetime symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD were assessed. Results:Overall, individuals with histories of CSA reported equally positive reactions, but more negative reactions to research participation, and those with court-substantiated histories of CSA, regardless of whether they selfreported or not, rated their experience more negatively compared to controls, specifically reporting that they experienced intense emotions, F(3, 453)= 4.147, P=.006, ηp =.027, and considered the research questions too personal, F(3, 453)=7.626, Pb .001, ηp =.048. Symptoms were associated with increased negative reactions, with current symptoms of depression, PTSD, and anxiety showing the most robust effects (Pb .001). Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that participation in research is not especially negative for individuals with a history of CSA, although we offer suggestions to safeguard and protect these vulnerable individuals.