NCJ Number
205500
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 909-921
Date Published
July 2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article reports the final phase of a 3-year follow-up study that examined the impact of a maternal history of childhood sexual abuse on maternal depression and child outcomes.
Abstract
Numerous studies have examined the impact of maternal mental illness on long-term child outcomes. While the role of a mother’s depression has been examined in terms of the impact on her children, the impact of a maternal history of sexual abuse on both mother and child outcomes has not been probed. The current study examined 56 women, along with their children, who had been admitted to inpatient specialized psychiatric units with a postpartum DSMIIIR diagnosis of either major depression or adjustment disorder during the first year following the birth of their child. In Phase One participants completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Score and the Beck Depression Inventory. Interviews established that 28 women had a history of childhood sexual abuse. Results from Phase One indicated that mothers with a history of sexual abuse had more impaired interactions with their infants, higher depression scores, and longer hospitalizations. Phase Two of the study, conducted 3 years later than Phase One, is presented in this article. Forty-five of the original 56 participants completed 2 depression scales, the Sarason Social Support Questionnaire, the Parenting Stress Index, and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale. Participants also attended semistructured interviews and their children were assessed by a clinical psychologist who was blind to the mother’s abuse status; children were between the ages of 2.5 and 3.5 years during Phase Two. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that women with a history of sexual abuse had higher depression and anxiety scores and reported greater life stresses than their nonabused counterparts. During Phase Two, the sexually abused participants did not show as much improvement in depressive symptoms as the nonabused participants. In terms of the impact of maternal sexual abuse on child outcomes, no differences were noted in the cognitive scores of children between groups. Among the more worrisome findings noted were low child scores on the McCarthy Scale of Children’s abilities and fathers’ ratings of their children as being behaviorally disturbed. Future research may focus on parenting and international styles among women with abuse histories. Tables, references