A. Berti, L. Ghio, L. Lavagna - Vol. 5, Giugno 1999, num.2
Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Riassunto Indice
Sexual abuse syndrome:
conseguenze psicopatologiche dell'abuso sessuale
Sexual abuse syndrome: psychopathological
consequence of sexual abuse
Objective: this paper explores the long-term psychopathological effects of the sexual abuse experience in childhood, looking at, in particular, the possible presence of aspecific Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to sexual abuse.
Method: we first analyzed all patients with history
of sexual abuse in childood hospitalized in the Psychiatric Clinic of Genoa
University from January 1995 to June 1998.
All the patients, in that sample, with diagnosis of Borderline Personality
Disorder (BPD) were selected and compared with a homogeneous BPD-group of
patients, who were not sexually abused in childood.
Transient psychotic-like symptoms and possible association with Eating Disorders,
Substance Abuse Disorder, Major Depression and Mixed Anxiety-Depressive Disorder
were sought in both samples.
The differences between the two groups were analyzed through the chi-square
test.
Results: a significant correlation between child sexual abuse and Borderline Personality Disorder was found; moreover, statistically significant association with Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse Disorder was found in BPD patients with history of sexual abuse, but not in BPD patients not sexually abused.
Conclusions: our data suggest the possible presence of specific Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related to sexual abuse; the various symptoms of this complex disorder seem to be an attempt to cope with painful emotions related to the traumatic event and the results, since the time of traumatic experience, of chronic reaction of the defense mechanisms, that has become integrated into the victim’s personality structure.
That make us supposed the presence, in sexualy abused patients, of a chronic Post-Traumatic Stress disorder with specific coexisting clinical features (BPD, Eating Disorder, Substance Abuse Disorder), which can represent a Sexual Abuse Syndrome.