| In the United States, children are at higher risk for developing symptoms of depression, anxiety/panic disorder and PTSD in adulthood if childhood familial sexual and/or physical abuse is present. This study explores archival data collected via the Add Health National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The study began with an inschool questionnaire and was administered to a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7 -- 12. The study then followed up with a series of in-home interviews that were conducted in 1994 -- 1995, 1996, 2001 -- 2002, and 2007 -- 2008. For the purpose of this study, only Wave IV data will be studied; this consists of the age demographic 24 -- 32 years of age.;The purpose of this project is to show the difference and level of increased likelihood to which children who experience childhood physical and/or sexual abuse will have higher occurrences of depression, anxiety/panic disorder, and PTSD as adults than adults who did not experience childhood abuse. Childhood physical and sexual abuse are measured by Yes or NO, it has or has not happened before the age of 18. Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD are measured by Yes or NO, a doctor/healthcare provider has or has not told you that you have this disorder on or after age 18.;Rates of diagnosed psychopathology, specifically depression, anxiety, and PTSD, significantly increased across all groups when childhood abuse is present. Results were analyzed by looking at participants with only childhood physical abuse present, with only childhood sexual abuse present, and with combined childhood physical and sexual abuse present. When only sexual abuse is present or when only physical abuse is present, each significantly predict all measured psychopathologies over and above the control group for both men and women. With some exceptions for men, statistical significance is also true with combined childhood physical and/or sexual abuse.;Logistic regressions show that for men, when both sexual and physical abuses are present, psychopathology diagnoses are still significantly higher than the control group. However, the presence of sexual abuse with physical abuse does not significantly predict depression, anxiety, or PTSD over and above the control group, only the physical abuse does. However, with men, sexual abuse alone predicts, in all instances, statistically significant higher rates of all measured psychopathologies than the control group. This was not true of women. When both sexual and physical abuses are present in women, sexual abuse and physical abuse significantly predict depression, anxiety, and PTSD over and above the control group.;The results of this study show that individuals who report being abused as children are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Because of the increased likelihood, clinicians should be aware and well-informed of their clients' history to better deliver the psychological services needed around these past traumas and presenting psychopathologies. |
