The Impact of Social Support on Long Term Adult Psychological Functioning: Study of the Role of a Confidant in Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

This project examined the effects a confidant had on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The subjects were volunteer adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse solicited from undergraduate and graduate psychology classes at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Volunteers completed a childhood sexual abuse questionnaire, a confidant questionnaire, the Jaloweic Coping Scale and the Brief Symptom Inventory in a structured interview. The Jaloweic Coping Scale determined the coping styles and the Brief Symptom Inventory determined the symptom level. Those subjects that had a confidant were expected to have more successful coping styles and fewer symptoms as adults. Analysis revealed that there was not a significant difference between those with a confidant within two years of the abuse and those that had a confidant later in life for symptom levels and effective coping styles. Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse negative symptoms and coping style effectiveness does not seem to be effected by the presence of a confidant within two years following the sexual abuse