Behavioral Markers of Coping and Psychiatric Symptoms among Sexually Abused Children

Language

English

Publication Date

4-1-2012

Journal

Journal of Traumatic Stress

DOI

10.1002/jts.21674

PMID

22522729

PMCID

PMC3708481

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

July 2013

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

The current study examined coping and psychiatric symptoms in a longitudinal sample of sexually abused children. Coping was behaviorally coded from children's forensic interviews in the aftermath of sexual abuse. Using principal components analysis, coping behaviors were found to cluster into 3 categories: avoidant, expressive, and positive affective coping. Avoidant coping had predictive utility for a range of psychiatric symptoms, including depressive, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and dissociative symptoms as well as aggression and attention problems measured 8-36 months following the forensic interview. Specific behaviors, namely fidgetiness and distractibility, were also found to be associated with future symptoms. These findings suggest the predictive utility of avoidant behaviors in general, and fidgetiness and distractibility in particular, among sexually abused children.

Keywords

Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Child, Female, Forensic Psychiatry, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Mental Disorders, Sex Offenses, United States

Published Open-Access

yes

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