Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
11825135
TITLE
Association between self-reported childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychosocial outcomes: results from a twin study.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND NlmCategory: BACKGROUND
Increased risk for serious adverse outcomes has been associated with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Whether these risks are directly attributable to CSA rather than family background remains controversial.
METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS
Structured psychiatric telephone interviews were conducted from February 1996 to September 2000 with both members of 1991 same-sex pairs (1159 female and 832 male pairs) from a young adult Australian volunteer twin panel (mean [SD] age, 29.9 [2.5] years). A binary composite CSA variable was constructed from responses to 5 component questions. The association between CSA and adverse psychosocial outcomes was examined, controlling for family background.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
A history of CSA, reported by 16.7% of the women and 5.4% of the men, was more common among those reporting parental alcohol-related problems. Significantly increased risk was observed in women reporting a history of CSA for subsequently occurring major depression, suicide attempt, conduct disorder, alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, social anxiety, rape after the age of 18 years, and divorce; most similar risks reached statistical significance in men. The greatest risks were associated with CSA involving intercourse. Childhood sexual abuse-negative twins (ie, those who denied having experienced CSA) from CSA-discordant pairs compared with other CSA-negative individuals had increased risk for many adverse outcomes suggesting correlated family background risk factors. Childhood sexual abuse-positive members (ie, those who reported having experienced CSA) of CSA-discordant pairs had significantly greater risk for all 8 examined adverse outcomes than their co-twins.
CONCLUSIONS NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported CSA was associated with increased risk for adverse outcomes, controlling for family background. Family background risk factors also were associated with adverse outcome risk. Discordant pair analysis seems to provide an effective means of controlling for family background risk factors.
DATE PUBLISHED
2002 Feb
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 2002/02/05 10:00
medline 2002/03/07 10:01
entrez 2002/02/05 10:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Nelson EC Nelson Elliot C EC Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 40 N Kingshighway, Suite 1, St Louis, MO 63108, USA. nelsone@psychiatry.wustl.edu
Heath AC Heath Andrew C AC
Madden PA Madden Pamela A F PA
Cooper ML Cooper M Lynne ML
Dinwiddie SH Dinwiddie Stephen H SH
Bucholz KK Bucholz Kathleen K KK
Glowinski A Glowinski Anne A
McLaughlin T McLaughlin Tara T
Dunne MP Dunne Michael P MP
Statham DJ Statham Dixie J DJ
Martin NG Martin Nicholas G NG
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 59
ISSUE: 2
TITLE: Archives of general psychiatry
ISOABBREVIATION: Arch. Gen. Psychiatry
YEAR: 2002
MONTH: Feb
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 0003-990X
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Arch Gen Psychiatry
COUNTRY: United States
ISSNLINKING: 0003-990X
NLMUNIQUEID: 0372435
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GRANTID AGENCY COUNTRY
AA00277 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA07728 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA10249 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA11998 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adolescent
Adult
Australia
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual psychology
Child of Impaired Parents psychology
Cohort Studies psychology
Diseases in Twins psychology
Female psychology
Humans psychology
Male psychology
Mental Disorders psychology
Risk Factors psychology
Self Disclosure psychology
Social Adjustment psychology
Social Environment psychology
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's