Mental Health and Substance Use Among Sexual Minority Women Who Report Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review

Overview

Journal Psychol Trauma

Specialty Psychology

Date 2023 May 11

PMID 37166921

Authors

Lauren Bochicchio

Mariah Xu

Cindy B Veldhuis

Charles McTavish

Tonda L Hughes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: A growing body of literature provides evidence that sexual minority women (SMW; e.g., lesbian, bisexual) are at greater risk of negative mental health and substance use outcomes than are heterosexual women. While minority stress may partially explain these disparities, it does not fully account for them. Therefore, it is necessary to identify how other risk factors (i.e., childhood sexual abuse [CSA]) contribute to SMW's increased risk of negative mental health and substance use outcomes.

Method: We conducted a systematic literature review to identify and synthesize the state of knowledge about CSA and mental health and substance use outcomes among SMW. Two independent reviewers screened 347 articles identified in searches of five databases (Web of Science, PsycInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, and Embase). Eligible articles were peer-reviewed, reported quantitative or mixed methods results focused on mental health or substance use outcomes among adult SMW with a history of CSA.

Results: Twenty-four papers were included in the review. Findings clearly show that SMW report higher rates of CSA than heterosexual women. Findings also suggest that CSA may mediate the relationship between minority sexual identity and some negative outcomes.

Conclusions: Future studies should include minority stress factors, a broader range of mental health outcomes (apart from substance use and suicide), and more nuanced measures of CSA. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Citing Articles

The Impact of Role Models on Sexual Minority Women: A Qualitative Interview Study.

Mann K, Tesfamichael S, Rimes K Behav Sci (Basel). 2025; 14(12.

PMID: 39767260 PMC: 11673819. DOI: 10.3390/bs14121119.

Childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, revictimization, and coping among sexual minority women.

Xu M, Corbeil T, Bochicchio L, Scheer J, Wall M, Hughes T Child Abuse Negl. 2024; 151:106721.

PMID: 38479262 PMC: 11104844. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106721.

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