Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Quality of Life in Sexually Abused Australian Children

• NCJ Number: 245126
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: 2013 Pages: 277-296
• Author(s): Elena Gospodarevskaya
• Date Published: 2013
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The study used publicly available data on post-traumatic stress disorder in a sample of the Australian population with a history of sexual abuse to demonstrate how this evidence can inform economic analyses.

Abstract

The study used publicly available data on post-traumatic stress disorder in a sample of the Australian population with a history of sexual abuse to demonstrate how this evidence can inform economic analyses. The 2007 Australian Mental Health Survey revealed that 8.3 percent of 993 adolescents experienced childhood sexual abuse, of which 40.2 percent were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis corresponded to a significant loss of quality of life. Survival analysis was used to estimate the lifetime persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The average time between post-traumatic stress disorder onset and remission was 11.4 years. Results suggest that successful treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder will save 2.05 quality adjusted life years per child or adolescent with post-traumatic stress disorder. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.