This study examined the physical and mental health of sexually abused boys compared to peers from the general population over 5 years following a substantiated case of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The study used data from youth protection reports linked to health records. Results showed sexually abused boys consulted physicians at rates 3 to 5 times higher than controls, but hospitalization rates were similar. For mental health, sexually abused boys had elevated consultation rates that remained stable over 5 years, while hospitalization rates for controls were 0% in years 3-5. The study concludes CSA prevention may reduce physical health problems requiring hospitalization, and determining specific problems and health associations could help prevent issues from becoming chronic.
Wekerle CIHR Team - Physical and Mental Health of Sexually Abused Boys a Five Year Matched-Control and Cohort Study
1. Physical and mental health of sexually
abused boys: A five year matched-
control and cohort study
Isabelle Daigneault, Catherine Bourgeois, Pascale Vézina-
Gagnon, Alexane Alie-Poirier, Sonia Dargan, Martine Hébert, &
Jean-Yves Frappier
Ministère de la Justice
du Québec
BAVAC
2. Université de Montréal
Psychology
Director TRAJETS
Member CRIPCAS &
ÉVISSA
Université de Montréal
Psychology
Member TRAJETS,
CRIPCAS & ÉVISSA
Isabelle Daigneault
Principal Investigator
Pascale Vézina-Gagnon
PhD Student
Université de Montréal
Psychology
Member TRAJETS,
CRIPCAS & ÉVISSA
Sonia Dargan
DPsy Student
Université de Montréal
Psychology
Member TRAJETS,
CRIPCAS & EVISSA
Catherine Bourgeois
PhD Student
TRAJETS LAB
Alexane Alie Poirier
DPsy Student
Université de Montréal
Psychology
Member TRAJETS,
CRIPCAS & ÉVISSA
3. UQAM
Canada research chair
Directror ÉVISSA, Member
CRIPCAS
Université de Montréal
Director of peadiatrics
Member CRIPCAS &
ÉVISSA
Martine Hébert Jean-Yves Frappier
COLLABORATORS
Université de Montréal
Canada research chair
Member CREF
Tonino Esposito Tania Lecomte
Université de Montréal
Director of Espoir
Member of IUSMM &
CRIPCAS
4. Context
CSA is a non-specific risk factor for a variety of mental health problems and psychiatric disorders (Maniglio, 2009;
Tyler, 2002), with elevated rates of comorbidity (Brand, King, Olson, Ghaziuddin, & Naylor, 1996; Silverman,
Reinherz, & Giaconia, 1996). Risk of mental health problem in adulthood is between 2 and 4 times, and up to 7
times more likely
0
1
CSA is also associated with increased physical health problems in adulthood, such as obesity, poor general
health, a greater amount of pain, gastrointestinal and cardio-respiratory problems (Irish, Kobayashi, & Delahanty,
2010)
The ratio of female to male victims of childhood sexual abuse that are reported to child protection services and
substantiated is 3 : 1 (Daigneault, et al., 2016) ** Male populations are critically understudied **
0
2
0
3
5. Context – Mental and Physical Health – males
Mental health of boys : increased odds of eating disorder behaviors, suicidal thoughts and attempts, mood
disorder symptoms, behavior problems, as well as personality disorders (odd ratio between 1.3 and 9.5)(Ackard
& Neumark-Sztainer, 2003; Garnefski & Arends, 1998; Rhodes et al., 2011; Spataro, 2004)
0
4
Physical health of sexually abused boys compared with general populations : ?0
5
6. GOAL
To document whether more sexually abused boys
will consult their physician and be hospitalized for
physical and mental health problems than their
peers from the general population over 5 years
after a substantiated CSA report
7. METHOD
1. Selection
All substantiated sexual
abuse reports 2001-2010
Link youth center data with
Ministry of health data
Matched control group –
age, gender
Physical and mental health
(CIM9 et 10) consultations and
hospitalizations - 1996 to 2013
2. Data linkage
4. Diagnostics
3. Comparison
Indicator
Yearly incidence rates
post substantiated report
235
222
222
+
Excluded participants
• Fewer reports
• More first reports
• Fewer services
• Fewer younf
offenders
• Fewer placed
11. 3%
Age at first
substantiated CSA
report
9.97years
39
13 13
2
Neg PA BP Ab
Placed out of home
Young offenders30%
34%
25%
(n = 222)
75%
(n = 660)
Boys from the initial sample
Other reports after CSA
Ran away
before or after
CSA report
Other reports prior to CSA
Other interventions
15.02years
At the end of the
current follow-up
PARTICIPANTS
6
7
14
0.4
Neg PA BP Aba
11%
12. RESULTS – CONSULTATIONS
2 : No difference in incidence rates
1 : High yearly incidence rate
3 : Significant decrease over five years
for both groups
Highlights
PHYSICAL HEALTH
0%
20%
40%
60%
1 2 3 4 5
Percentage
Year post CSA report
Case Controls
13. RESULTS – HOSPITALIZATIONS
4. Year 4 is an exception, where
controls have higher incidence rate
3. On average, incidence rates remain
the same over 5 years for both groups
1 : Low yearly incidence rate
2 : Abused boys up to 10 times more
likely to be hospitalized at least once
Highlights
PHYSICAL HEALTH
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
1 2 3 4 5
Percentage
Year post report
Case Controls
14. RESULTS – CONSULTATIONS
2 : Incidence rate is 3 to 5 times higher
in sexually abused boys
1 : Elevated yearly incidence rate
for CSA
3 : Inciden rates remain the same over five
years for both groups
Highlights
MENTAL HEALTH
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
1 2 3 4 5
Percentage
Year post report
Case Controls
15. RESULTS – HOSPITALIZATIONS
1 : Very low yearly incidence rates
2 : Incidence rates are 0% for control group
in years 3, 4 and 5
Highlights
MENTAL HEALTH
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
1 2 3 4 5
Percentage
Year post report
Case Controls
16. As expected, sexually abused boys
are 3 to 5 times more likely to consult
their physician, but we cannot tell
whether they are more often
hospitalized
Sexually abused boys and those from the
general population consult their
physician at the same rate, but are more
often hospitalized, indicating they may
wait too long until problems become
chronic or severe.
CSA prevention may contribute to
diminish physical health problems in
youth, particularly severe problems
that require hospitalizations.
Document risk/protection factors to
predict physical and mental health
problems in childhood, adolescence in
order to prevent chronicisation
Mental Health Physical Health
Prevention Prevention
CONCLUSIONS
17. Specific problems
Determine what are the most
frequent problems for boys
Mental and physical
health associations
How do PTSD and
depression affect boys’
physical health?
Larger youth protection
study
Broaden study to more youth
protection centers and to all
maltreatment types – study
relationship between health
and protection services
Study including youth
Study using both
administrative data and
questionnaires/interviews
with youth
FUTURE PROJECTS
2016 2017 20192018
Laboratoire de recherche sur les trajectoires de santé et de résilience de jeunes agressés sexuellement
LIMITES
cross-sectional or short-term prospective designs
samples consisting mostly of adult populations (Miller & Chen, 2010), or at-risk youth (Lanier et al., 2010; Rogosch et al., 2011
No assessment of mental health changes over time
The goal of the study was to explore whether sexually abused boys had higher rates of medical consultations and hospitalizations for physical and mental health problems than boys from the general population.
Against this backdrop, the main objective of this study is to determine if, in the five years following a first substantiated report, sexually abused boys present more mental and physical health problems when compared to those from the general population. We hypothesize that sexually abused boys will present more mental and physical health problems, as indicated by an elevated annual incidence rate of medical consultations and hospitalizations.
Administrative databases were used to compare medical diagnoses of 222 boys with a substantiated sexual abuse report with those of 222 matched-controls. Results revealed that sexually abused boys were up to five times more likely than those from the general population to consult a physician for mental health problems. With regards to physical health problems, sexually abused boys were as likely as those from the general population to consult a physician, but up to 10 times more likely to be hospitalized.
Controlling for :
Socio-economic status at the time of the first substantiated sexual abuse report (Pampalon & Raymond, 2000),
intellectual disability,
certain conditions originating from the perinatal period (e.g., low birth weight or premature birth, fetal acidosis, birth trauma),
congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities (e.g., Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, fetal alcohol syndrome)
Ajouter des infos descriptives des jeunes selon les données CJ = voir au bureau
les participants avaient en moyenne 20,52 ans (ÉT = 4,65 – MAS = 20,50 et ÉT = 4,70; Mapparié = 20,55 et ÉT = 4,60).
GLIMMIX SAS. Modèle linéaire mixte général utilisant la fonction de lien logit et la fonction de densité binomiale. Cette approche permet de tenir compte de la dépendance entre les cas et les témoins attribuable à l'appariement, ainsi que de la dépendance entre les observations lors du suivi.
Results revealed that sexually abused boys were up to five times more likely than those from the general population to consult a physician for mental health problems. With regards to physical health problems, sexually abused boys were as likely as those from the general population to consult a physician, but up to 10 times more likely to be hospitalized.
On pourrait ajouter les résultats des variables contrôles si l’on veut, mais moins pertinent ici. SES ne prédit rien, mais congénital et périnatal oui.
AS = hospitalisations similaires chez garçons et filles
PG = parfois filles, parfois garçons qui sont plus souvent hospitalisés.