A prospective examination of the role of childhood sexual abuse and physiological asymmetry in the development of psychopathology.
A prospective examination of the role of childhood sexual abuse and physiological asymmetry in the development of psychopathology.
复制标题
对儿童性虐待和生理不对称在精神病理学发展中的作用的前瞻性研究。
DOI：
10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.02.010
复制
发表时间：
2010
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Trickett,PenelopeK
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Shenk,ChadE;Noll,JennieG;Putnam,FrankW;Trickett,PenelopeK
OBJECTIVERecent literature has emphasized the simultaneous assessment of multiple physiological stress response systems in an effort to identify biobehavioral risk factors of psychopathology in maltreated populations. The current study assessed whether an asymmetrical stress response, marked by activation in one system and a blunted response in another system, predicted higher levels of psychopathology over time.METHODSData were collected from an ongoing, prospective study of females with a substantiated history of childhood sexual abuse (n=52) and a non-abused comparison group (n=77). Childhood sexual abuse was determined at the initial study visit. Vagal tone and cortisol were measured 7 years later to assess physiological response to a laboratory stressor across these systems. Depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors were assessed 6 years after the completion of the laboratory stressor.RESULTSStructural equation modeling indicated that a prior history of childhood sexual abuse predicted an asymmetrical physiological response to stress in late adolescence. In turn, this asymmetrical response predicted both higher levels of depression and antisocial behaviors in young adulthood.CONCLUSIONSChildhood sexual abuse may sensitize females to respond to moderate daily stressors in a manner that places them at higher risk for experiencing depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviors over time.PRACTICE IMPLICATIONSThe management of mild to moderate stress in the everyday lives of maltreated females may be a particularly useful point of intervention in order to protect against later psychopathology.
