The prevalence and correlates of childhood sexual abuse in a national sample of Canadian women

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among a large nationally representative sample of Canadian women (age 20-64). Among the 7,862 women age 20 through 64 who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey of Mental Health (CCHS-MH; Statistics Canada, 2013), 1027 (13.01%) reported a history of CSA prior to age 16. Data associated with 2,054 participants were extracted from the Canadian Community Health Survey of Mental Health (CCHS-MH; Statistics Canada, 2013) and further analyzed. Women who reported a history of CSA were significantly more likely to meet diagnostic criteria (lifetime and 12-month) for all psychiatric disorders examined in the present analysis including major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, substance and alcohol use disorders, and bipolar disorder compared to an age-matched sample of women without a CSA history. Lifetime and 12-month suicidal ideation were also significantly higher among those women with a CSA history, along with prevalence of a prior PTSD diagnosis. Significantly poorer outcomes were observed for those women with a CSA history across all socio-demographic (marital status, level of education, personal income) and quality of life (community belonging, self-rated mental health, life satisfaction) variables included in the present analysis. Findings were discussed within the context of existing research on the prevalence and correlates of CSA internationally and within Canada.