Longitudinal Relationships between Perceived Social Support and Symptom Outcomes: Findings from a sample of Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

What are the Experiences of and Interventions for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse in South Asia? A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may experience emotional, social, and psychological difficulties, heightened due to the interpersonal nature of harm. Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of trauma-focused treatments in the West, a culturally specific understanding of the needs of and treatments for survivors in South Asia is still in its infancy. The study aimed to systematically review research findings on the mental health impacts of CSA on adult survivors and current treatment approaches and their efficacy and acceptability in South Asia. Seven databases (Scopus, Ovid, CINAHL, ProQuest, EThOS, Google Scholar, and Dogpile) and five peer-reviewed South Asian journals were searched from inception until March 30, 2023. Searches included participants who were adult survivors of CSA of South Asian origin residing in South Asia. Studies on their mental health, different treatments, and the efficacy and acceptability of these treatments were included. Quality assessment tools were used to appraise the quality of included studies. The results were synthesized narratively. A total of 3,362 records were retrieved, and 24 articles were included in the final review. Twenty studies reported mental health impacts of CSA on adult survivors, four studies reported current treatments offered, and two studies were on recovery. However, no study focused on the efficacy or acceptability of the treatments being delivered. Even though the needs of adult CSA survivors in South Asia have been partly identified, there is very little research into the treatments for them.

Adverse childhood experiences, mental health, and social functioning: A scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively impact people's physical and mental health and social functioning. Research literature focuses on the impact of ACEs on physical and mental health, yet to our knowledge, no study has examined the literature on ACEs, mental health, and social functioning outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To map how ACEs, mental health, and social functioning outcomes have been defined, assessed, and studied in the empirical literature and identify gaps in the current research which need further investigation.

METHODS

A scoping review methodology following a five-step framework was implemented. Four databases were searched CINAHL, Ovid (Medline, Embase) and PsycInfo. The analysis involved both numerical and a narrative synthesis in line with the framework.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies were included in the analysis, and three key issues were identified a) the limitations of research samples to date, b) the choice of outcome measures for ACEs, social and mental health outcomes, and c) the limitations of current study designs.

CONCLUSION

The review demonstrates variability in the documentation of participant characteristics and inconsistencies in the definitions and applications of ACEs, social and mental health and related measurements. There is also a lack of longitudinal and experimental study designs, studies on severe mental illness, and studies including minority groups, adolescents, and older adults with mental health problems. Existing research is highly variable methodologically and limits our broader understanding of the relationships between ACEs, mental health, and social functioning outcomes. Future research should implement robust methodologies to provide evidence that could be used for developing evidence-based interventions.

Social connectedness as a determinant of mental health: A scoping review

Public health and epidemiologic research have established that social connectedness promotes overall health. Yet there have been no recent reviews of findings from research examining social connectedness as a determinant of mental health. The goal of this review was to evaluate recent longitudinal research probing the effects of social connectedness on depression and anxiety symptoms and diagnoses in the general population. A scoping review was performed of PubMed and PsychInfo databases from January 2015 to December 2021 following PRISMA-ScR guidelines using a defined search strategy. The search yielded 66 unique studies. In research with other than pregnant women, 83% (19 of 23) studies reported that social support benefited symptoms of depression with the remaining 17% (5 of 23) reporting minimal or no evidence that lower levels of social support predict depression at follow-up. In research with pregnant women, 83% (24 of 29 studies) found that low social support increased postpartum depressive symptoms. Among 8 of 9 studies that focused on loneliness, feeling lonely at baseline was related to adverse outcomes at follow-up including higher risks of major depressive disorder, depressive symptom severity, generalized anxiety disorder, and lower levels of physical activity. In 5 of 8 reports, smaller social network size predicted depressive symptoms or disorder at follow-up. In summary, most recent relevant longitudinal studies have demonstrated that social connectedness protects adults in the general population from depressive symptoms and disorders. The results, which were largely consistent across settings, exposure measures, and populations, support efforts to improve clinical detection of high-risk patients, including adults with low social support and elevated loneliness.

Suicidal ideation among Chinese survivors of childhood sexual abuse: Associations with rumination and perceived social support

BACKGROUND

Although previous studies have shown that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experiences might be related to suicidal ideation in later life, its associations with rumination and perceived social support (PSS) remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to expand prior findings among Chinese survivors of CSA to investigate rumination's effect on the association between CSA and suicidal ideation, and the potential moderating role of PSS in this relationship.

METHODS

The Childhood Sexual Abuse Questionnaire, the Ruminative Response Scale, the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Symptom Checklist were completed by 6834 college students (56.61% females).

RESULTS

In all, 1400 (20.76%) students reported experiences of CSA. The rate of CSA in males was higher than that in females (24.23% vs. 18.10%). Students with CSA experiences reported a higher level of suicidal ideation than those without such experiences. CSA and rumination were positively related to suicidal ideation, and PSS were negatively related to CSA, rumination and suicidal ideation. CSA predicted suicidal ideation both directly and indirectly through rumination. PSS moderated the effect of rumination on suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence for the effects of rumination on the association between CSA and suicidal ideation, and the buffering role of PSS on the relationship between rumination and suicidal ideation in Chinese survivors with CSA experiences. These findings suggest that developing adaptive emotional regulation strategies and enhancing the level of PSS might contribute to the alleviation of negative influences from CSA.