Resumen

CABALLERO-DOMINGUEZ, Carmen Cecilia; ESPITIA-CORREA, Joseph Luciano  y  CAMPO-ARIAS, Adalberto. Association between sexual abuse and psychological distress in high-school adolescents in Santa Marta, Colombia. Psicol. caribe [online]. 2022, vol.39, n.2, pp.7-7.  Epub 23-Nov-2022. ISSN 0123-417X.

Sexual abuse is a stressor that increases the risk of psychological distress. The research objective was to quantify the association between sexual abuse and psychological distress (post-traumatic stress, depression, and suicide risk) in adolescent students in Santa Marta, Colombia. A cross-sectional, correlational study was designed. One thousand four hundred sixty-two students between the ages of 13 and 17 participated (M = 15.98, SD = 0.83). Sexual abuse was investigated using a single item of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Psychological distress was evaluated with the SPAN (post-traumatic symptoms, suicidal ideation scale of the Center for Epidemiological Studies and Well-being Index (WHO-5). The prevalence of sexual abuse was 17.37%; post-traumatic stress, 19.36%; depression, 7.05%; and suicide risk, 13.27%. The sexual abuse history was associated with post-traumatic stress (Adjusted OR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.77 - 3.28), depression (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI 1.59 - 3.88), and suicide risk (AOR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.77 - 3.56). It is concluded that sexual abuse is a stressor that significantly increases the risk of psychological distress in adolescent students in Santa Marta, Colombia. Cohort studies are needed to control for possible confounding variables for these associations.

Palabras clave : Sexual abuse; Post-traumatic stress; Depression; Epidemiology; Risk factors.

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