Dataset Information

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: results from a randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have high rates of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sexual problems in adulthood.

Aim

We tested an expressive writing-based intervention for its effects on psychopathology, sexual function, satisfaction, and distress in women who have a history of CSA.

Methods

Seventy women with CSA histories completed five 30-minute sessions of expressive writing, either with a trauma focus or a sexual schema focus.

Main outcome measures

Validated self-report measures of psychopathology and sexual function were conducted at posttreatment: 2 weeks, 1 month, and 6 months.

Results

Women in both writing interventions exhibited improved symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women who were instructed to write about the impact of the abuse on their sexual schema were significantly more likely to recover from sexual dysfunction.

Conclusions

Expressive writing may improve depressive and PTSD symptoms in women with CSA histories. Sexual schema-focused expressive writing in particular appears to improve sexual problems, especially for depressed women with CSA histories. Both treatments are accessible, cost-effective, and acceptable to patients.

SUBMITTER: Meston CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3775987 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: results from a randomized clinical trial.

Meston Cindy M CM Lorenz Tierney A TA Stephenson Kyle R KR

The journal of sexual medicine 20130722 9

<h4>Introduction</h4>Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have high rates of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sexual problems in adulthood.<h4>Aim</h4>We tested an expressive writing-based intervention for its effects on psychopathology, sexual function, satisfaction, and distress in women who have a history of CSA.<h4>Methods</h4>Seventy women with CSA histories completed five 30-minute sessions of expressive writing, either with a trauma focus or a sexual schema f ...[more]

PMID: 23875721

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Project description:As they age, people living with HIV (PLWH) experience greater rates of inflammation-related health conditions compared to their HIV-negative peers. Because early life adversity can exaggerate proinflammatory effects of later physiological challenges, inflammation may be higher among PLWH with these combined risks, which could inform intervention approaches to mitigate multimorbidity. In this cross-sectional analysis, we investigated individual and combined effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history and physiological burden (Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index scores) on serum cytokine and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels among PLWH. Participants (n = 131; age 54 and older) were patients at an outpatient HIV clinic who completed a psychosocial survey and biomedical research visit as part of a larger study. 93% were virally suppressed, and 40% reported experiencing sexual abuse in childhood. Composite cytokine levels (summarizing IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ), CRP, and disease burden did not differ significantly between those who had a history of CSA and those who did not. Participants with greater disease burden had higher composite cytokine levels (r = 0.29, p = 0.001). The disease burden by CSA interaction effect was a significant predictor of composite cytokine levels (but not CRP), and remained significant after controlling for age, sex, race, BMI, anti-inflammatory medication use, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use, depressive symptoms, and smoking status (F(1, 114) = 5.68, p = 0.02). In follow-up simple slopes analysis, greater disease burden was associated with higher cytokine levels among those with CSA history (b = 0.03, SE = 0.008, p<0.001), but not among those without CSA history. Further, in the context of greater disease burden, individuals with a CSA history tended to have higher cytokine levels than those without a CSA history (b = 0.38, SE = 0.21, p = 0.07). These data suggest that the physiological sequelae of childhood trauma may persist into older age among those with HIV. Specifically, links between physiological burden and inflammation were stronger among survivors of CSA in this study. The combined presence of CSA history and higher disease burden may signal a greater need for and potential benefit from interventions to reduce inflammation, an area for future work.

Dataset Information

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: results from a randomized clinical trial.

Introduction

Aim

Methods

Main outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: results from a randomized clinical trial.

Similar Datasets

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