This study assesses how various characteristics of sexual abuse affect the development of psychopathy in children. In particular, Adams et al. (2018) investigated the relationship between “onset, duration, and severity of physical and sexual abuse” and “depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms” (p. 1). Based on the findings, the researchers conclude that the listed characteristics have an unequal impact on the mental outcomes of sexually abused children later in life. One of the most important advantages of this article is that the authors allow each element of the abuse episode to be considered as an influencing factor. This aspect can greatly help in identifying relevant treatment strategies in future research. At the same time, the study was conducted on the basis of self-reporting of participants, which reduces the reliability of the data. Moreover, episodes of abuse were committed on children, which may further contribute to the distortion of the reproduction of details. Thus, this resource is relevant to this essay as it allows us to consider the mental outcomes for sexually abused children in order to form the background of the problem. However, the resource does not provide information on treatment strategies, so it can only be used as supplementary to research the topic.
The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review the literature providing information on the psychological, psychiatric, and physical outcomes of children sexual abuse. In particular, the authors focus on the long-term consequences of episodes of sexual abuse. The researchers conclude that despite the vast number of mental health outcomes associated with sexual abuse, the high-quality literature identifies an association with only two psychiatric and one psychological consequence. In particular, the authors argue that later in life, there is a strong correlation of episodes of sexual abuse exclusively with “post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia… and substance misuse” (Hailes et al., 2019, p. 1). The main advantage of this study is its strong methodology, which includes the analysis of information and the identification of correlations. At the same time, the researchers conducted an umbrella review based on existing studies. Thus, the results may not correspond to the present situation due to the limited sample as well as insufficient data. This study is relevant to this essay as it identifies areas of interventions that need to be prioritized in the mental health treatment of sexually abused children. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the long-term outcomes of episodes of abuse, allowing for the identification of possible prevention and treatment strategies.
This study provides an overview of available practices for identifying and treating the consequences of children sexual abuse. In particular, the authors present methods for screening victims of abuse, the most effective approaches to mental health therapy, as well as methods for psychopharmacological support of interventions. Additionally, the authors identify risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing severe mental health outcomes in victims of children sexual abuse. The main advantage of this study is to provide comprehensive information not only about the methods of treatment but also about the methods of preventing the development of the adverse effects of abuse on children. The authors focus specifically on the ways of early identification of mental disorders and the consequences for children’s health, which helps in the development of the most effective interventions. Moreover, the study provides information on the treatment of certain symptoms of the consequences of sexual abuse, which contribute to positive long-term results. Thus, this study is most relevant to this essay as the main source of information for answering research. At the same time, each of the approaches to the treatment described in the article requires additional consideration since the information presented within a single study is limited.