Exploration of Recovery Trajectories in Sexually Abused Adolescents

This study documents recovery status and symptom changes in a one-year follow-up of sexually abused (SA) adolescent girls in child protection services in the province of Québec, Canada. Sixteen French-speaking participants were interviewed using the Multidimensional Trauma Recovery and Resiliency Interview (MTRR-I), which was in turn rated by interviewers using the companion rating scale, the MTRR, and completed questionnaires assessing symptoms, types of maltreatment endured and services received. Participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 years (M = 15.2 years) when first interviewed and had experienced severe sexual abuses. Analyses of one-year follow-up data revealed statistically significant changes towards better functioning on multiple domains and less symptomatology for a majority of the girls interviewed. The recovery status of a minority of research participants seems to have worsened in the interval. The discussion considers these findings and addresses relevancy of the MTRR measures in cases of SA adolescents

Exploration longitudinale du trauma, de la résilience et de la guérison chez des adolescentes agressées sexuellement suivies par un Centre jeunesse

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Relationships between stressful life events, psychological distress and resilience among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adolescents

Objective(s): In order to shed light on the impacts of various stressful life events and resilience factors during adolescence and across different cultural backgrounds, this study explored a variety of protective and vulnerability factors associated with psychological distress among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth. Methods: The participants were 207 adolescents (mean age = 15.8 years, 55% female, 45% Aboriginal) recruited from two secondary schools located in Innu communities of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean and Côte Nord (Canada). Data were collected on psychological distress, exposure to stressful life events, and resilience. Results: Six multiple linear regressions were conducted to predict six dimensions of psychological distress. Sexual abuse, family violence and other stressful life events were all associated with higher levels of psychological symptoms. Individual resilience factors were associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, dissociation and post-traumatic stress (PTS), whereas relational/familial resilience factors were associated with lower levels of anger and sexual concerns. The relationship with contextual resilience was not significant. Conclusions and implications: Overall, these results indicate that stressful life events such as sexual abuse and family violence may have deleterious effects on the mental health of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adolescents. However, some individual and relational factors may have positive effects on their mental health. These findings may provide hope for communities under greater stress and support the importance of establishing culturally sensitive intervention strategies that strengthen the key protective factors identified in this study

Childhood Sexual Abuse, Intellectual Disability, and Subsequent Physical and Mental Health Disorders: A Matched Cohort Study

This study assesses whether children with intellectual disabilities (ID) are more at risk of sexual abuse and whether they have similar consultation rates for physical and mental health disorders than children without ID. The matched-cohort design study uses administrative databases of children who had a sexual abuse report corroborated by a child protection agency and a matched group from the general population. Children with ID were 3.5 times more likely to have a corroborated sexual abuse report when compared to their peers without ID and a higher postabuse number of medical consultations for physical and mental health disorders. Children with ID are more at risk of sexual abuse and physical and mental health disorders and may also be more vulnerable to the effects of abuse

A prospective study of the impact of child maltreatment and friend support on psychological distress trajectory : from adolescence to emerging adulthood

Background Transition into adulthood is a critical developmental period that may be influenced by adverse life events as well as by protective factors. This study aimed at investigating the effect of different forms of child maltreatment experienced prior to age 14 (i.e., sexual abuse, physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence), and of friend support at age 14 on the psychological distress trajectory from age 14 to 24. Methods Participants were 605 adolescents from the general population involved in a 10-year longitudinal study. Psychological distress was evaluated at ages 14, 16, 18 and 24. Child maltreatment prior to 14 years was retrospectively assessed at 14 and 24 years while perception of support from friends was evaluated at age 14. Results Multilevel growth modeling indicated that psychological distress followed a significant decreasing curvilinear trajectory, with participants reporting fewer distressing psychological symptoms after 18 years. All three forms of child maltreatment, as well as their cumulative effect, predicted more psychological distress over 10 years above and beyond the protective effect of support from friends. Higher support from friends at age 14 was related to lower distress at baseline andover 10 years, beyond the effect of child maltreatment. Limitations Self-report nature of all measures, attrition, and measures of child maltreatment forms. Conclusions Psychological distress decreased during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Results also revealed the detrimental impact of child maltreatment and the promotive role of friend support, which underscore the importance of early intervention

Violences sexuelles en milieu universitaire au Québec : rapport de recherche de l’enquête ESSIMU

Cette recherche, intitulée « Enquête Sexualité, Sécurité et Interactions en Milieu Universitaire(ESSIMU) : Ce qu’en disent étudiant.es, enseignant.es et employé.es », a permis d’établir un portrait des violences sexuelles se déroulant en contexte universitaire au Québec. Cette enquête d’envergure provinciale regroupe 12 chercheures provenant des 6 universités suivantes : Université du Québec à Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec en Outaouais et Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. L’équipe interdisciplinaire et interuniversitaire compte également le Regroupement québécois des centres d’aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel et le Service aux collectivités de l’UQAM. Afin de documenter les situations de violence sexuelle vécues en milieu universitaire (VSMU), l’équipe ESSIMU a réalisé en 2016 une vaste étude auprès de 9 284 répondant.es dans 6 universités québécoises francophones. Le questionnaire, administré en ligne, a permis de rendre compte d’un large éventail de manifestations de violence sexuelle vécues par l’ensemble de la communauté universitaire (étudiant ou travaillant à l’université). La mesure de victimisation distinguait le harcèlement sexuel (comportements verbaux et non verbaux qui traduisent des attitudes insultantes, hostiles et dégradantes), les comportements sexuels non désirés (comportements verbaux et non verbaux à caractère sexuel, offensants, non désirés ou non réciproques, incluant la tentative de viol et l’agression sexuelle) et la coercition sexuelle (chantage en retour de récompenses)

Mindfulness as Mediator and Moderator of Post-traumatic Symptomatology in Adolescence Following Childhood Sexual Abuse or Assault

Childhood sexual abuse or assault (CSA) is a non-specific risk factor for psychopathology such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. However, the impact of CSA greatly varies among individuals. Mediating mechanisms and moderating factors have been proposed to explain how the effects of CSA translate into varied symptoms. Mindfulness is one of the potential variables linked to the diversity of outcomes of CSA. As mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being used among adolescents and those sexually abused or assaulted in childhood, it is essential to know more about the mechanisms by which it influences post-traumatic symptoms in these populations. This study’s aim is to assess whether mindfulness mediates and moderates the relationship between self-reported exposure to CSA and post-traumatic symptoms in adolescence. A sample of 246 adolescents (48 % female) reported their exposure to CSA and completed the Child Acceptance and Mindfulness Measure and the Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children. The relation between CSA, mindfulness and post-traumatic symptoms was investigated using mediation and moderation regression models from the Process script. Results reveal that mindfulness acted as a mediator of post-traumatic symptoms, as CSA was associated with lower levels of mindfulness, which in turn were associated with more post-traumatic symptoms. On the other hand, mindfulness only acted as a moderator of CSA for anger and anxiety but not in the expected direction. Further investigation is needed to shed light on the moderator role of mindfulness in sexually abused youth

Influence de l’estime de soi, des qualités relationnelles parents-enfants, du soutien social et de l’agression sexuelle sur la résilience auprès d’adolescents autochtones et caucasiens

Cet article a pour objectif d’explorer la résilience psychologique auprès d’adolescents caucasiens et autochtones. Bien que plusieurs études aient été réalisées sur cette thématique auprès des caucasiens, peu ont été conduites auprès des peuples des Premières Nations, bien qu’ils aient vécu plusieurs événements traumatiques depuis la colonisation. Pour ce faire, 227 participants autochtones et caucasiens âgés de 14 à 17 ans ont répondu à des questionnaires autorapportés. La résilience a été conceptualisée en termes d’absence de détresse psychologique et fut évaluée par le score total obtenu au Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSC-C; Briere, 1989). Le niveau d’estime de soi des adolescents fut mesuré, de même que des facteurs interpersonnels tels le soutien parental, social et communautaire; afin d’être cohérent avec une perspective autochtone qui repose sur une vision interrelationnelle entre l’individu et sa communauté. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats de cette étude révèlent que les adolescents autochtones n’ont pas été davantage victimes d’agression sexuelle que leurs homologues caucasiens, mais ils ont vécu davantage d’événements de vie délétères. Les résultats de l’analyse de régression suggèrent que l’estime de soi et la capacité de l’adolescent à rechercher de l’aide dans sa communauté sont associées à moins de détresse psychologique, soit plus de résilience. Toutefois, avoir subi une agression sexuelle, avoir été exposé à plusieurs évènements de vie stressants, être de sexe masculin et être un adolescent non-autochtone est relié à plus de détresse psychologique. En somme, les présents résultats suggèrent l’importance d’utiliser une approche écologique qui implique à la fois les facteurs personnels et communautaires dans la compréhension des facteurs de résilience. This article aims to explore resilience among Caucasian and Aboriginal adolescents. Although several studies have been conducted on this topic among Caucasians, few concern First Nation peoples, even though the latter have experienced many traumatic events since colonization. A total of 227 Aboriginal and Caucasian participants aged between 14 and 17 years completed questionnaires. Resilience has been conceptualized as the absence of psychological distress and was evaluated by the total score obtained on the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children. The level of self-esteem in adolescents was measured, as well as interpersonal factors such as parental, social and community support, in order to be consistent with an Aboriginal perspective based on an interrelational view between the individual and his community. Overall, the results of this study indicate that sexual abuse is not more common among Aboriginal youth than their Caucasian counterparts, but they do experience more adverse life events. The results of regression analyses suggest that self-esteem and the capacity of adolescents to seek help in the community are associated with less psychological distress, and thus, more resilience. However, having been sexually abused, being exposed to more stressful life events, being male and being a Caucasian teenager are all factors related to greater psychological distress. Overall, these results suggest the importance of utilizing an ecological approach that involves both personal and community factors in understanding resilience factors

Chapitre 14. La victimisation et les mesures de prévention

L’agression sexuelle envers les enfants n’est pas un phénomène rare. Les taux de prévalence provenant d’échantillons populationnels de différents pays s’établissent à 19,7 % pour les femmes ayant subi une agression pendant leur enfance et à 7,9 % pour les hommes (Pereda, Guilera, Forns et Gomez-Benito, 2009). Une enquête auprès d’un échantillon représentatif de 1 000 adultes de la province de Québec a révélé des taux comparables (Tourigny, Hébert, Joly, Cyr et Baril, 2008). Selon cette même e..