Childhood disclosure of sexual abuse and mental health outcomes in adulthood: Assessing merits of early disclosure and discussion

Abstract

Background: Empirical research on the impact of early disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) on survivor health is limited and mixed. One recent study found that early disclosure may actually be detrimental for abuse cessation and adult symptomatology (Swingle et al., 2016). The current study re-examined the effects of early disclosure and related variables on long-term mental health for men with histories of CSA.

Objective: The primary aims of this study were to: a) investigate whether early disclosure and response to early disclosure were related to mental distress in adulthood, and b) examine whether having an in-depth discussion and timing of that discussion were related to mental distress in adulthood.

Participants and setting: Data were collected from a large, non-clinical sample of male survivors (N = 487), ranging in age from 19 to 84 years, through an online, anonymous survey.

Methods: Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted by entering groups of variables in four steps: control variables, CSA severity, disclosure, and discussion.

Results: Overall, models explained between 24-28% of the variance in mental distress. None of the CSA severity variables reached significance. Both early disclosure (β = -0.126, p = 0.003) and response to first disclosure (β = -0.119, p = 0.006) were significant protective factors in Model 3. In the final model, having an in-depth discussion (β = -0.085, p = <0.036) and years until discussion (β = 0.102, p = 0.029) were also related to mental distress.

Conclusions: Results support the merits of early disclosure and discussion on long-term mental health. Implications for future research and practice are presented.

Keywords: Child sexual abuse; Disclosure; Male survivors; Mental health.