Pathways between childhood victimization and psychosis-like symptoms in the ALSPAC Birth Cohort

Background: Several large population-based studies have demonstrated associations between adverse childhood experiences and later development of psychotic symptoms. However, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms involved in this pathway and the few existing studies have relied on cross-sectional assessments. Methods: Prospective data on 6692 children from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used to address this issue. Mothers reported on children’s exposure to harsh parenting and domestic violence in early childhood, and children self-reported on bullying victimization prior to 8.5 years. Presence of children’s anxiety at 10 years and their depressive symptoms at 9 and 11 years were ascertained from mothers, and children completed assessments of self-esteem and locus of control at 8.5 years. Children were interviewed regarding psychotic symptoms at a mean age of 12.9 years. Multiple mediation analysis was performed to examine direct and indirect effects of each childhood adversity on psychotic symptoms. Results: The association between harsh parenting and psychotic symptoms was fully mediated by anxiety, depressive symptoms, external locus of control, and low self-esteem. Bullying victimization and exposure to domestic violence had their associations with psychotic symptoms partially mediated by anxiety, depression, locus of control, and self-esteem. Similar results were obtained following adjustment for a range of confounders and when analyses were conducted for boys and girls separately. Conclusions: These findings tentatively suggest that specific cognitive and affective difficulties in childhood could be targeted to minimize the likelihood of adolescents exposed to early trauma from developing psychotic symptoms

Risk and Protective Factors for Physical and Emotional Abuse Victimisation amongst Vulnerable Children in South Africa

Little is known about risk and protective factors for emotional and physical child abuse in South Africa. Existing research has focused largely on sexual abuse and relied on recollections of childhood abuse from university and high-school students or data from criminal reports. The objective of this study was to establish risk and protective factors for severe physical and emotional abuse amongst a large cross-sectional community sample of South African youth. Confidential self-report questionnaires were completed by children aged 13–19 (n = 603, 47.9% female) with local interviewers in deprived areas of South Africa. Standardised measures of abuse, hypothesised risk factors and socio-demographic variables were used. Factors associated with severe physical and emotional child abuse were experience of family conflict (p = 0.003), unequal food distribution (p < 0.014), inconsistent discipline (p = 0.012), number of caregiver changes (p = 0.022), living with a step-parent (p = 0.034), caregiver disability (p = 0.004), food insecurity (p = 0.006), bullying (p < 0.001), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related stigma (p < 0.001), sexual abuse (p = 0.003), school non-attendance (p = 0.006) and non-achievement (p = 0.015). These identified risk and protective factors at community, school, caregiver and household levels have the potential to affect the risk of abuse for children in South Africa, and may be valuable fields for future intervention efforts

Physical, emotional and sexual adolescent abuse victimisation in South Africa:Prevalence, incidence, perpetrators and locations

Background: Physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children is a major problem in South Africa, with severe negative outcomes for survivors. To date, no known studies have used data directly obtained from community-based samples of children to investigate prevalence, incidence, locations and perpetrators of child abuse victimisation. This study aims to investigate prevalence and incidence, perpetrators, and locations of child abuse victimisation in South Africa using a multicommunity sample. Methods: 3515 children aged 10-17 years (56.6% female) were interviewed from all households in randomly selected census enumeration areas in two South African provinces. Child self-report questionnaires were completed at baseline and at 1-year follow-up (96.7% retention). Results: Prevalence was 56.3% for lifetime physical abuse (18.2% past-year incidence), 35.5% for lifetime emotional abuse (12.1% incidence) and 9% for lifetime sexual abuse (5.3% incidence). 68.9% of children reported any type of lifetime victimisation and 27.1% reported lifetime multiple abuse victimisation. Main perpetrators of abuse were reported: for physical abuse, primary caregivers and teachers; for emotional abuse, primary caregivers and relatives; and for sexual abuse, girlfriend/boyfriends or other peers. Conclusions: This is the first study assessing current self-reported child abuse through a large, community based sample in South Africa. Findings of high rates of physical, emotional and sexual abuse demonstrate the need for targeted and effective interventions to prevent incidence and re-victimisation

Psychometric properties of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Abuse Short Form (ACE-ASF) among Romanian high school students

Objective: Child abuse is a major public health problem. In order to establish the prevalence of abuse exposure among children, measures need to be age appropriate, sensitive, reliable and valid. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire Abuse Short Form (ACE-ASF). Methods: The ACE-ASF is an 8-item retrospective self-report questionnaire measuring lifetime physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old school-going adolescents (n=1733, 55.5% female) from the Romanian Health Behavior in School-based Children Study 2014 (HBSC) was analyzed. The factorial structure of the ACE-ASF was tested with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and confirmed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance was examined across boys and girls and internal reliability and concurrent criterion validity were established. Results: Violence exposure was high: 39.7% physical, 32.2% emotional and 13.1% sexual abuse. EFA established a two factor structure: physical/emotional abuse and sexual abuse. CFA confirmed this model fitted the data well [χ 2 (df)=60.526(19); RMSEA=.036; CFI/TLI=.990/.986]. Metric invariance was supported across genders. Internal consistency was good (.83) for the sexual abuse scale and poor (.57) for the physical/emotional abuse scale. Concurrent criterion validity confirmed hypothesized relationships between childhood abuse and health-related quality of life, life satisfaction, self-perceived health, bullying victimization and perpetration, externalizing and internalizing behaviors and multiple health complaints. Conclusions: Results support the ACE-ASF as a valid measure of physical, emotional and sexual abuse in school-aged adolescents. Future research is needed to replicate findings in other youth populations and across different age groups

Avaliação dos efeitos do Tribulus terrestris em mulheres no menacme com distúrbio do desejo sexual hipoativo

Exportado OPUSMade available in DSpace on 2019-08-12T10:28:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_pronta_doutorado_04_01_16.pdf: 2102716 bytes, checksum: b9ff136fcb2acd09f61f4058b30e91af (MD5) Previous issue date: 1Objetivo: estudar os efeitos do Tribulus terrestris em mulheres comdisfunção do desejo sexual hipoativo na menacme, avaliando a sua eficácia no tratamento do HSDD e sua influência nos níveis séricos da testosterona. Método: foi realizado ensaio clínico, prospectivo, randomizado, duplo-cego, placebo controlado, com 40 pacientes na menacme e portadoras de Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), que utilizaram Tribulus terrestris ou placebo e foram avaliadas pelos questionários Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) e QuocienteSexual versão Feminina (QS-F) e pela dosagem da testosterona, no ambulatório de sexologia ginecológica do Hospital da Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (HC-UFMG). Resultados: o uso do Tribulus terrestris em comparação ao placebo por meio do questionário FSFI mostrou significativa melhora nos domínios lubrificação e dor. Quando comparado o uso do Tribulus terrestris com o do placebo a partir do questionário QS-F, observou-se significativa melhora nos domínios desejo excitação/lubrificação, dor,orgasmo e satisfação nas mulheres que usaram Tribulus terrestris. Já em relação à testosterona, o uso do Tribulus terrestris alterou os níveis séricos de testosterona livre e biodisponível. Conclusão: o uso do Tribullus terrestris em mulheres com HSDD determina melhora dos sintomas, quando avaliados pelos instrumentos FSFI e QS-F