Resiliency among individuals with childhood sexual abuse and HIV: Perspectives on addressing sexual trauma

✍ Scribed by Nalini Tarakeshwar; Nathan B. Hansen; Arlene Kochman; Ashley Fox; Kathleen J. Sikkema

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 159 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-9867
• DOI: 10.1002/jts.20132

✦ Synopsis

This study examined how resiliency (represented by optimism, social support, religiosity, and finding growth and meaning), within the context of perceived impact of sexual trauma and HIV-related stress, was linked to perspectives on addressing trauma among individuals (N = 266) with HIV and childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that lower resiliency and greater HIV-related stress were related to negative feelings about addressing trauma, whereas greater resiliency and higher perceived impact of sexual trauma were associated with positive feelings about addressing trauma. Findings suggest that multiple factors influence perspectives on addressing trauma among individuals with HIV and CSA, and that resiliency might influence these attitudes.

Ample research evidence highlights the connection between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and behaviors during adolescence and adulthood that place an individual at increased risk for HIV infection (Greenberg, 2001;Wyatt et al., 2002). The connection between CSA experiences and HIV-risk is further supported by the high preva-