Childhood sexual abuse as a precursor to depression and self‐destructive behavior in adulthood

Abstract Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) as a predictor of depression and self‐destructive behaviors in adulthood was examined relative to other traumatic stressors in childhood and adulthood with special attention to sex differences. In a college sample of 173 men and 265 women, 16% of male (n = 28) and 24% of female respondents (n = 63) reported having been sexually abused as children. CSA, ranging from unwanted kissing and fondling to unwanted sexual intercourse, predicted depression, chronic self‐destructiveness, self‐harm ideation, acts of self‐harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts, for both men and women. The more frequent and severe the sexual abuse and the longer its duration, the more depression and self‐destructiveness reported in adulthood. Other stressors predicted these effects less consistently but their occurrence in combination with CSA contributed to the negativity of long‐term outcomes. Study results affirm previous findings of a relationshop between CSA and depression and self‐destructiveness in adult females and extend them to males.