Depression and Coping Strategies Among Sexually Abused Children In A Malay Community In Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Objective: The fact that childhood sexual abuse is associated with depression is well-known. To date, there is no proper study done on screening for depression and coping strategies among sexually abused children in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and examine the association of depression with the socio-demographics and coping strategies used by sexually abused children. Methods: Sixty-five sexually abused children who attended the One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) services at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and fulfilled the study criteria were screened for depression using a validated Malay version of Children Depression Inventory (CDI).Depression was determined by a positive score of the Malay-CDI with depression being indicated in scores of more than 18. Results: In the study sample, 16 (24.6 %) participants had been depressed and 49 (75.4 %) participants had not been depressed. Having a confidante was a protective factor against depression. Short duration of time between the abuse incident and the clinical interview was significantly associated with depression. With respect to coping strategies, 59 (90.8 %) used emotion-focused strategies and 6 (9.2 %) used problem or task-focused strategies. Among emotion-focused coping strategies, participants did the following: deciding that nothing could be done to change things, were in denial, and suppressed their feelings. Conclusion: Twenty five percent of the sample suffered from depression. The screening of depression in the vulnerable group such as sexually abused children is important, particularly for early detection and treatment. By recognizing the coping strategies used in sexually abused children, the clinician could understand them better and plan for their psychological management.