Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Klinik Psikiyatri Dergisi, cilt.24, ss.86-98, 2021 (ESCI)
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine gender and age-specific differences in abuse experience and psychopathologies in sexually abused children and adolescents. Furthermore, it was aimed to determine the predictive factors for psychopathology. Method: The study included children and adolescents who were evaluated for sexual abuse at the child and adolescent psychiatry clinic between 2001-2009. Sociodemographic and sexual abuse characteristics, trait anxiety/depression scores, and psychiatric diagnoses have retrospectively evaluated. Results: The familiar abuser was significantly higher in girls, whereas the stranger abuser was significantly higher in boys. The abuse incident mostly occurred in the home environment in girls and the open fields in boys. The frequency of mental disorders did not differ between genders and age-groups. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder was higher in the presence of coercion (physical violence/use of force/threat) and in the 7-11 age group. In girls and also the 15-18 age group had a higher prevalence rate of Major Depressive Disorder, which was also found to be related to intra-familial abuse, the presence of coercion and repeated abuse. The increase in trait anxiety/depression scale scores and the presence of coercion increased the risk of psychiatric diagnosis in the post-abuse period. Discussion: Childhood sexual abuse occurs in different ways, both contextually and qualitatively, for both sexes and age groups. Therefore, when planning preventive interventions, differences in gender and developmental periodspecific abuse experiences should be considered. Our results showed that internalization symptoms and additional traumatic experiences were more important in the development of psychopathology than the abuse itself. The assumption that one gender or any developmental period is more vulnerable to psychopathology may not have a robust empirical basis. On the other hand, psychiatric disorder-specific differences regarding gender/developmental periods/abuse-characteristics will guide the provision of appropriate treatment services.