Ethnicity and sexual orientation as PTSD mitigators in child sexual abuse survivors

• Published in: Journal of family violence Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 319 - 325
• Main Authors: ANDRES-HYMAN, Raquel C, COTT, Melissa A, GOLD, Steven N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Kluwer/Plenum 01.10.2004; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adult Children; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Sexual Abuse; Childhood sexual abuse; Cultural aspects; Ethnicity; Family law; Family studies; Females; Hispanic Americans; Medical sciences; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Racial Differences; Risk factors; Sex (Psychology); Sex crimes; Sex Role Orientations; Sexual orientation; Sexuality; Social problems; Survivors; USA; Victimization; Victimology; Victims; Violence; Women; United States; Belief; Human; Posttraumatic syndrome; Socioeconomic status; American; Education level; Attitude; Anxiety disorder; Religion; Personality; Victimology; Gender identity; Latinamerican; Stress; Ethnic group; Symptomatology; Marital status; Correlation analysis; Sociodemographic factor; Early traumatism; Sexual abuse; Antecedent; African American
• ISSN: 0885-7482; 1573-2851
• DOI: 10.1023/B:JOFV.0000042081.96997.4e

Purpose and Potential benefits: Research, to our knowledge, has not examined the effect of demographic variables on PTSD symptoms among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). This study explores the relationship between demographic variables and scores of CSA survivors on the Impact of Scale (IES). Participants were 257 women CSA survivors entering outpatient treatment at a university-based mental health center. All participants reported a CSA history and presented with psychological difficulties associated with CSA. The demographic variables investigated were relationship status, religious affiliation, ethnicity, educational level, spousal educational level income, and sexual orientation. Significance tests were used to examine each variable and scores on the Total IES and Avoidance and Intrusion Subscales. Total IES and Intrusion scores differed for sexual orientation and ethnicity in accord with conventional standards of significance (a < .05). Self-reported asexuals indicated fewer intrusive and total PTSD symptoms than heterosexuals, lesbians, and bisexuals. Likewise, Hispanics reported less intrusive PTSD symptoms than Non-Hispanic Caucasians. Our findings invite further exploration of the relationship between ethnicity and sexual orientation and the long-term effects of CSA. A question for empirical investigation is whether asexuality shields against the triggering of CSA memories by a sexual relationship. Another possible area of inquiry is whether particular characteristics of Hispanic culture as a whole serve to moderate the detrimental effects of CSA. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]