Citation

Lang AJ, Aarons GA, Gearity J, Laffaye C, Satz L, Dresselhaus TR, Stein MB. Behav. Med. 2008; 33(4): 125-136.

Affiliation

The University of California-San Diego (UCSD).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.3200/BMED.33.4.125-136

PMID

18316270

PMCID

PMC2547477

Abstract

The authors evaluated the relationships among childhood maltreatment, sexual trauma in adulthood, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and health functioning in women. Female Veterans' Affairs (VA) primary care patients (N = 200) completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, adult sexual trauma, PTSD symptoms, and current health functioning. The authors used structural equation modeling to test models of the relationship among these variables. Childhood nonsexual maltreatment and adult sexual assault were positively associated with PTSD. Childhood nonsexual maltreatment (beta = -.20) and PTSD (beta = -.75) were significantly associated with poorer physical and mental health functioning. Adult sexual assault negatively affected health functioning through its association with PTSD. Thus, poor health outcomes associated with childhood maltreatment in women may be conveyed through PTSD. These findings should strengthen efforts directed at identifying and treating PTSD in female victims of childhood maltreatment with the aim of preventing or attenuating poor health outcomes.

Language: en