Spirituality, self-blame, and trauma symptoms among adolescents waiting for treatment after disclosing sexual abuse

BACKGROUND: Adolescents who have been sexually abused commonly experience trauma symptoms, and many spend considerable time waiting for treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the extent to which adolescent perceptions of divine spiritual support, divine spiritual struggles, and self-blame collected during a screening assessment predict trauma symptoms at the beginning of treatment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were 224 adolescents (92.9 % female, Mean age = 13.46 years; 53.6 % identified as Hispanic/Latino/a and 24.1 % Black/African American). All obtained services at a Children's Advocacy Center in the southern United States. METHODS: Adolescents reported on trauma symptoms, divine spiritual support, divine spiritual struggles, and self-blame appraisals at a screening assessment (T1). Trauma symptoms were also reported a second time when beginning treatment (T2). CONCLUSIONS: Assessing adolescents' divine spiritual struggles and self-blame for sexual abuse may be important in triage and treatment planning for youth who have experienced sexual abuse.