Childhood Sexual Abuse in Incarcerated Females: Complex Trauma Symptomotology and the Personality Assessment Inventory

There is a dearth of literature examining how childhood sexual abuse (CSA) influences the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991) profiles of incarcerated women. This study examines the relationship between CSA, substance abuse, and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) symptomatology on the PAI in an incarcerated female sample. It was hypothesized that women with CSA would have higher overall levels of psychopathology as well as higher levels of symptoms consistent with CPTSD and substance dependence compared to women without histories of CSA. A sample of 78 incarcerated women who had been administered the PAI upon intake were recruited from a northwestern multi-custody state prison. Women with CSA (n = 42) were compared to women without histories of CSA (n= 36) on the PAI and various mental health and substance abuse characteristics. Women in the CSA group were found to have higher levels of overall psychopathology, higher levels of symptoms associated with CPTSD, and increased prevalence of PTSD symptoms. Women with CSA also reported greater severity of drug use and more frequent use of cannabis, stimulants, and heroin. A medium, positive correlation was found between PTSD symptom severity and drug use severity. Women with CSA were also found to have significantly higher rates of mental health care utilization prior to prison in addition to higher rates of mental health care utilization in prison. Further, women in the CSA group were also found to have had initiated substance use at a younger age and to have had higher rates of maternal substance abuse during their childhood. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed. Degree Type Dissertation Rights Terms of use for work posted in CommonKnowledge. This dissertation is available at CommonKnowledge: http://commons.pacificu.edu/spp/134 Copyright and terms of use If you have downloaded this document directly from the web or from CommonKnowledge, see the “Rights” section on the previous page for the terms of use. If you have received this document through an interlibrary loan/document delivery service, the following terms of use apply: Copyright in this work is held by the author(s). You may download or print any portion of this document for personal use only, or for any use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.). Except for personal or fair use, you or your borrowing library may not reproduce, remix, republish, post, transmit, or distribute this document, or any portion thereof, without the permission of the copyright owner. [Note: If this document is licensed under a Creative Commons license (see “Rights” on the previous page) which allows broader usage rights, your use is governed by the terms of that license. ] Inquiries regarding further use of these materials should be addressed to: CommonKnowledge Rights, Pacific University Library, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, (503) 352-7209. Email inquiries may be directed to:. copyright@pacificu.edu This dissertation is available at CommonKnowledge: http://commons.pacificu.edu/spp/134 CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE IN INCARCERATED FEMALES: COMPLEX TRAUMA SYMPTOMOTOLOGY AND THE PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT INVENTORY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY PACIFIC UNIVERSITY HILLSBORO, OREGON BY AMY JENKS IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY