Psychological Defense Styles in Women Who Report Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Controlled Community Study

OBJECTIVE: The psychological defense styles of women who reported childhood sexual abuse were assessed and compared to those of women without childhood sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects in a random community sample (N=354) of New Zealand women were interviewed and completed two relevant questionnaires,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of psychiatry 1999-07, Vol.156 (7), p.1080-1085
Main Authors: Romans, Sarah E., Martin, Judy L., Morris, Eleanor, Herbison, G. Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse, Sexual - classification
Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology
Childhood sexual abuse
Defence mechanisms
Defense Mechanisms
Dissociative Disorders - diagnosis
Dissociative Disorders - epidemiology
Dissociative Disorders - psychology
Emotional abuse
Factors
Female
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders - diagnosis
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Middle Aged
New Zealand - epidemiology
Personality Inventory
Projection
Psychological tests
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Sampling Studies
Self Concept
Selfreport
Severity of Illness Index
Sex crimes
Sex Factors
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Victimology
Women
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Summary:OBJECTIVE: The psychological defense styles of women who reported childhood sexual abuse were assessed and compared to those of women without childhood sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects in a random community sample (N=354) of New Zealand women were interviewed and completed two relevant questionnaires, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. RESULTS: Women reporting childhood sexual abuse showed more immature defense styles, and those who experienced the most severe childhood sexual abuse showed the most immature styles. Dissociation, however, as measured on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, was not linked to childhood sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting childhood sexual abuse was associated with more immature coping styles, although not dissociation, in this community sample of women. Coping styles are likely to be a major mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases rates of later psychological problems.
ISSN:0002-953X
1535-7228
DOI:10.1176/ajp.156.7.1080