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Childhood sexual abuse. Women's health when starting in group therapy

Lundqvist, Gunilla ; Svedin, Carl Göran LU and Hansson, Kjell LU (2004) In Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 58(1). p.25-32
Abstract
Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies, and among mentally ill women, 25-77%. These women often suffer from depression, anxiety, sexual and relationship problems. Suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviour are common. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year-long trauma-focused group therapy. They were well educated but 27% were unemployed. Nearly half of the group had made suicide attempts, 87% had had suicidal thoughts and, according to the questionnaire SCL-90, they were suffering from psychiatric symptoms significantly to a greater degree than both a general group and a... (More)
Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies, and among mentally ill women, 25-77%. These women often suffer from depression, anxiety, sexual and relationship problems. Suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviour are common. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year-long trauma-focused group therapy. They were well educated but 27% were unemployed. Nearly half of the group had made suicide attempts, 87% had had suicidal thoughts and, according to the questionnaire SCL-90, they were suffering from psychiatric symptoms significantly to a greater degree than both a general group and a clinical group with mixed diagnoses. According to the questionnaire ISSI, they were less well socially integrated than both a general group and a clinical group, and the degree of social adjustment according to the questionnaire SAS-SR was lower than in a general group. The study shows that childhood sexually abused women seeking therapy are a symptom-burdened group. These women probably need psychiatric treatment of a particular character. Special group therapy for these women can potentially improve their health. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Group therapy, Sexual abuse, Women's health
in
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
volume
58
issue
1
pages
25 - 32
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • wos:000189257800003
  • pmid:14985151
  • scopus:12144291573
ISSN
1502-4725
DOI
10.1080/08039480310000752
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
276fdd49-dc9c-44ff-9e6d-16a85d2617b8 (old id 154272)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:31:50
date last changed
2022-03-29 02:08:14
@article{276fdd49-dc9c-44ff-9e6d-16a85d2617b8,
  abstract     = {{Childhood sexual abuse has been shown to be common among adult women, 15-30% in prevalence studies, and among mentally ill women, 25-77%. These women often suffer from depression, anxiety, sexual and relationship problems. Suicide attempts and self-destructive behaviour are common. Within the Department of Psychiatry at Lund University Hospital, 45 women with experiences of childhood sexual abuse were offered a 2-year-long trauma-focused group therapy. They were well educated but 27% were unemployed. Nearly half of the group had made suicide attempts, 87% had had suicidal thoughts and, according to the questionnaire SCL-90, they were suffering from psychiatric symptoms significantly to a greater degree than both a general group and a clinical group with mixed diagnoses. According to the questionnaire ISSI, they were less well socially integrated than both a general group and a clinical group, and the degree of social adjustment according to the questionnaire SAS-SR was lower than in a general group. The study shows that childhood sexually abused women seeking therapy are a symptom-burdened group. These women probably need psychiatric treatment of a particular character. Special group therapy for these women can potentially improve their health.}},
  author       = {{Lundqvist, Gunilla and Svedin, Carl Göran and Hansson, Kjell}},
  issn         = {{1502-4725}},
  keywords     = {{Group therapy; Sexual abuse; Women's health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{25--32}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Childhood sexual abuse. Women's health when starting in group therapy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039480310000752}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/08039480310000752}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}