The long-term effects associated with a history of childhood sexual abuse : a Rorschach investigation

This study examines the long-term effects associated with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Subjects included 105 adult women placed into four groups: abused-treatment, abused-no treatment, not abused-treatment, and not abused-no treatment. Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed to predict personality disturbances as assessed by various Rorschach scoring indices. Treatment status, physical abuse occurrences, and subjects' perceptions of their familial emotional environment were included in the regression model. The results indicate that physical and sexual abuse have a differential impact on the maturity of psychological structures. Also, the interaction between severe sexual abuse and negative perceptions of familial emotional environment predicted disturbances in the quality of object representations and ego functioning.