Symptom patterns of sexually abused teenage girls seeking services.

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with a host of negative repercussions. Yet, scholarly reports highlight the diversity of symptom presentation in survivors of CSA. Relying on the complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) framework, this study aimed to identify symptom profiles in teenage girls seeking services following disclosure of CSA. Participants included 207 teenage girls aged 12-18. They completed questionnaires on PTSD symptoms (i.e., reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal) and domains of impairments of the C-PTSD (i.e., interpersonal difficulties, biology, affect and behavioral regulation, dissociation, cognition, and self-concept). A latent profile analysis identified three profiles: PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Resilient. Results support the validity of the C-PTSD model with a subgroup reporting classic PTSD symptoms as well as alterations in several domains of functioning. Our second aim was to explore potential correlates of the resulting symptom profiles. Both personal and family factors were found to distinguish profiles, with teens in the Resilient group reporting fewer associations with delinquent peers, less use of avoidance coping strategies, andmore maternal support than the two other profiles. Furthermore, CSA severity did not differ between the Complex PTSD and the Resilient profiles. The current findings argue in favor of a more individualized approach to treatment taking into consideration differences in presentation of symptoms among profile teenage survivors of CSA.