Disclosure and Psychological Well-Being of Sexually Abused Adolescents in Hong Kong

Abstract

The role of disclosure on psychological well-being of adolescents with child sexual abuse experience was investigated in a subsample of 74 disclosers among 800 adolescents recruited in the community in Hong Kong. The results supported that CSA experiences have differential impact on adolescents’ psychological well-being. Family characteristics of the disclosers accounted for only a small amount of the variance in an array of psychological well-being measures. CSA characteristics were robust predictors of disclosers’ sexual eroticism and externalizing behavioral symptoms. Disclosers’ cognitive appraisal of CSA experience and quality of parental attachment were strong predictors of their self-esteem and internalizing behavioral problems. After controlling for the aforementioned factors, negative disclosure experience still significantly predicted lower self-esteem, higher sexual anxiety, more internalizing behavior, and more severe post-traumatic stress disorder responses. Research to understand the factors that generate negative disclosure experiences is needed for developing effective intervention strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of disclosure.

Keywords:

• adjustment
• adolescence
• child sexual abuse
• disclosure experience
• Hong Kong

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kindy Yuk-Ip Lam

Kindy Yuk-Ip Lam, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist at the Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong, SAR. She specializes in childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect and provides therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and their families. She is also a registered play therapist-supervisor of the Association for Play Therapy, United States.