Psychopathology in Substance Abusing Women Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse

• NCJ Number: 182196
• Journal: Journal of Addictive Diseases Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: 2000 Pages: 31-44
• Author(s): Janet S. Knisely Ph.D.; Sandra B. Barker Ph.D.; Karen S. Ingersoll Ph.D.; Kathryn S. Dawson Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines psychopathology in substance-abusing women reporting childhood sexual abuse.

Abstract

The study compared MMPI-2 profiles and evaluated the ability of the MMPI-2 and its two new post-traumatic stress scales (PK and PS) to discriminate women in outpatient substance abuse treatment reporting positive (n = 24) and negative (n = 69) child sexual abuse histories. The test correctly categorized 75 percent with positive histories and 77 percent with negative histories. In addition to differentiating abused from non-abused women by scale elevations, the MMPI-2 could discriminate substance-abusing women who reported sexual abuse from those who did not using the technique of stepwise discriminant analysis. The findings of increased emotional distress in substance-abusing survivors of childhood sexual abuse amplify the need to identify such women, recognize the potential relapse risk posed by their earlier abuse and to address survivor issues in treatment. The findings also suggest that the MMPI-2 may be useful in patient-treatment matching. Table, figure, references