Browsing by Subject "sexual abuse"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Early Sexual Trauma Exposure and Neural Response Inhibition in Adolescence and Young Adults: Trajectories of Frontal Theta Oscillations During a Go/No-Go Task
    (Elsevier, 2019) Meyers, Jacquelyn; McCutcheon, Vivia V.; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Kamarajan, Chella; Subbie, Stacey; Chorlian, David; Salvatore, Jessica; Pandey, Gayathri; Almasy, Laura; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Bender, Annah; Dick, Danielle M.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Agrawal, Arpana; Bucholz, Kathleen; Porjesz, Bernice; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Objective Trauma, particularly when experienced early in life, can alter neurophysiologic and behavioral development, thereby increasing risk for substance use disorders and related psychopathology. However, few studies have empirically examined trauma using well-characterized developmental samples that are followed longitudinally. Method The association of assaultive, non-assaultive, and sexual assaultive experiences before 10 years of age with developmental trajectories of brain function during response inhibition was examined by measuring electrophysiologic theta and delta oscillations during no-go and go conditions in an equal probability go/no-go task. Data were drawn from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) prospective cohort, composed of offspring from high-risk and comparison families who were 12 to 22 years old at enrollment, with follow-ups at 2-year intervals since 2004. In addition, other important predictors of neurophysiologic functioning (eg, substance use, impulsivity, and parental alcohol use disorders) were investigated. Moreover, associations of neurophysiologic functioning with alcohol and cannabis use disorder symptom counts and externalizing and internalizing psychopathology were examined. Results Individuals exposed to sexual assaultive trauma before 10 years of age had slower rates of change in developmental trajectories of no-go frontal theta during response inhibition. Importantly, effects remained significant after accounting for exposure to other traumatic exposures, such as parental history of alcohol use disorder and participants’ substance use, but not measures of impulsivity. Further, slower rates of change in no-go frontal theta adolescent and young adult development were associated with increased risk for alcohol use disorder symptoms and internalizing psychopathology, but not for cannabis use disorder symptoms or externalizing psychopathology. Conclusion Childhood sexual assault is associated with atypical frontal neurophysiologic development during response inhibition. This could reflect alterations in frontal lobe development, synaptic pruning, and/or cortical maturation involving neural circuits for inhibitory control. These same areas could be associated with increased risk for young adult alcohol use disorder symptoms and internalizing psychopathology. These findings support the hypothesis that changes in neurocognitive development related to early sexual trauma exposure could increase the risk for mental health and substance use problems in young adulthood.
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    The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Sexual Well-being among Youth Formerly in the Foster Care System
    (Child Welfare League of America, 2019) Brandon-Friedman, Richard A.; Fortenberry, J. Dennis; School of Social Work
    This study evaluates the impact of broad and singular measures of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and severity of sexual abuse on sexual well-being among youth formerly in the foster care system (YFFC). Divorce, alcohol/drug use within the home, the presence of mental illness or a family member suicide attempt, and sexual abuse severity increased odds of negative sexual outcomes and predicted lower sexual well-being. ACE levels negatively impacted outcomes but positively impacted sexual well-being. Research must move beyond summative ACE measures to examine the impact of types of ACEs and sexual abuse severity on sexual well-being and sexual health outcomes for YFFC.
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    Physical and sexual abuse in orphaned compared to non-orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis
    (Elsevier B.V., 2014-02) Nichols, J.; Embleton, L.; Mwangi, A.; Morantz, G.; Vreeman, R.; Ayaya, S.; Ayuku, D.; Braitstein, P.; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    This systematic review assessed the quantitative literature to determine whether orphans are more likely to experience physical and/or sexual abuse compared to non-orphans in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It also evaluated the quality of evidence and identified research gaps. Our search identified 10 studies, all published after 2005, from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. The studies consisted of a total 17,336 participants (51% female and 58% non-orphans). Of those classified as orphans (n = 7,315), 73% were single orphans, and 27% were double orphans. The majority of single orphans were paternal orphans (74%). Quality assessment revealed significant variability in the quality of the studies, although most scored higher for general design than dimensions specific to the domain of orphans and abuse. Combined estimates of data suggested that, compared to non-orphans, orphans are not more likely to experience physical abuse (combined OR = 0.96, 95% CI [0.79, 1.16]) or sexual abuse (combined OR = 1.25, 95% CI [0.88, 1.78]). These data suggest that orphans are not systematically at higher risk of experiencing physical or sexual abuse compared to non-orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. However, because of inconsistent quality of data and reporting, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Several recommendations are made for improving data quality and reporting consistency on this important issue.