The Association Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Somatic Symptoms at Midlife: The Roles of Depression and Intimate Partner Relationship Quality

Childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for somatic symptoms during adulthood. Mechanisms linking childhood sexual abuse to somatic symptoms are not well known, nor are moderators that buffer the influence of abuse.

The present study utilized path analyses to explore among a sample of middle-aged adults (N = 264) whether childhood sexual abuse was positively associated with somatic symptoms, the mechanistic role of depression, and the buffering role of intimate partner relationship quality.

Among the full sample and those with lower intimate partner relationship quality, there was a significant, positive indirect effect of childhood sexual abuse on somatic symptom severity via depression. Among those with high intimate partner relationship quality there was neither a direct nor indirect effect of childhood sexual abuse on somatic symptom severity.

Depression may serve as a mechanism in the transmission of risk from childhood sexual abuse to somatic symptoms at midlife, whereas intimate partner relationship quality may serve as a protective factor.