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Intimate Relationships Moderate the Association Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Depression

University of Ottawa

MELISSA E. JUDD

University of Ottawa

JENNIFER A. AUBE

University of Rochester

The authors examined adult attachment, intimacy, and partner physical abuse as potential mediators or moderators of the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and depression. Contrary to previous research, our results showed that being a survivor of CSA was not necessarily associated with higher levels of physical abuse or with lower levels of intimacy. Thus, the relationship variables did not mediate the association between CSA and depression. However, they did moderate this relationship. CSA survivors were both better protected from depression when they perceived their relationships to be of high quality and more vulnerable to depression when they did not than were nonsurvivors. However, an exception occurred when their relationships were physically abusive: CSA survivors who were being physically abused reported fewer depressive symptoms than did nonsurvivors in the same situation. This finding was interpreted in terms of attachment theory and the self-verification hypothesis.

Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 14, No. 9, 940-954 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/088626099014009002


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