Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jun 14;74(5):842-852.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbx114.

Child Sexual Abuse and Depression in Late Life for Men: A Population-Based, Longitudinal Analysis

Scott D Easton  1 , Jooyoung Kong  2 , Matt C Gregas  3 , Ce Shen  1 , Kevin Shafer  4
Affiliations

Child Sexual Abuse and Depression in Late Life for Men: A Population-Based, Longitudinal Analysis

Scott D Easton et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. .

Abstract

Objective: Research investigating long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on mental health for men is vastly underdeveloped. This study strengthened the knowledge base by examining: (a) long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms for men with and without a history of CSA, and (b) moderating effects of social support over time.

Method: We analyzed multiple waves of data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The sample (N = 2,451) consisted of men with histories of CSA and a stratified, randomly sampled comparison group. Growth curve modeling was employed for analyses.

Results: After controlling for demographic, parental, and health factors, men with CSA histories had greater depressive symptoms than those with no history of CSA. For both groups, depressive symptoms decreased over time; slope patterns did not differ. We found a significant moderating effect of social support on the relationship between CSA and depressive symptoms.

Discussion: This innovative, population-based, longitudinal study demonstrated that CSA can undermine mental health for men across the life span and into old age. Social support appears to mitigate these deleterious effects. In early, middle, and late adulthood, practitioners should assess for CSA and strengthen support resources for male survivors.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Complex trauma; Male survivors; Social support; Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Cross-level interaction between social support and sexual abuse in childhood (Model 5).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Berkman L. F. Glass T. Brissette I. & Seeman T. E (2000). From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 51, 843–857. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(00) - PubMed
    1. Baguley T. (2009). Standardized or simple effect size: What should be reported?British Journal of Psychology (London, England: 1953), 100, 603–617. doi:10.1348/000712608X377117 - PubMed
    1. Bolen R. M. (2001). Child sexual abuse: Its scope and our failure. New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.
    1. Briere J. & Spinazzola J (2005). Phenomenology and psychological assessment of complex posttraumatic states. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 401–412. doi:10.1002/jts.20048 - PubMed
    1. Cantón-Cortés D., Cortés M. R., & Cantón J (2012). The role of traumagenic dynamics on the psychological adjustment of survivors of child sexual abuse. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 665–680. doi:10.1080/17405629.2012.660789

Publication types