Adverse Effects of Child Abuse in Adult Females
Childhood abuse creates a substantial and long-lasting impact that may follow women into adulthood. Abusive events of girlhood may traumatize young girls, leaving them vulnerable to myriad post-traumatic outcomes mentally, physically, and emotionally. Women abused prior to the age of 11 may be at greater risk for mental illness and substance abuse through self-medication in adulthood. This presentation will review four areas which researchers have identified as possible adverse effects of girlhood abuse. First, women use substances to self-medicate to avoid the negative affect associated with girlhood abuse and learned negative reinforcement. Second, substance abuse may intensify girlhood maltreatment-induced mental illness. Third, women who have been exposed to adverse girlhood experiences may be at greater risk for diverse negative outcomes in adulthood. Finally, exposure to multiple adverse experiences in girlhood may lead to comorbid disorders in adulthood, further exacerbating other negative symptoms. Researchers have found that the effects of abuse in girlhood may be clinically significant. Moreover, researchers found that women experienced outcomes including substance abuse, mental illness, and incarceration. Researchers have reported a potential link between girlhood maltreatment and the traumatic events that may follow girls into adulthood. Future directions will also be discussed in this presentation, including the need for a longitudinal study that explores the impact of each type of adverse event in mental illness and substance abuse. Furthermore, researchers should also study why some women demonstrate resilience to girlhood abuse while others remain deeply impacted over their lifetimes.
PSY 499, Capstone
Mary Ann Winter-Messiers
SPS 100
2 – 2:30 PM