The Relationship Between Eating Disorders and Sexual Trauma, Research Paper Example

Wonderlich, S.A., et al. (2007). Relationship of childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 36:1107-1115.

In the article “relationship between childhood sexual abuse and eating disorder” Wonderlich S.A, Crosby R.D. Robert J and others argue that childhood sexual abuse is indeed related to eating disorders. Wonderlich and the colleagues use different cases to support the argument. For instance, they use the case of Harworle monkeys who were separated from their mothers when they were still young and who developed eating disorder to argue their case. In the report, Wonderlich and the colleagues note that the monkeys who had a caring environment when they were young had a less robust polymorphism of serotonin transporter, compared to those who grew in a less caring environment. In the report, Wonderlich and colleagues were quick to criticize recent studies that are attempting to look at the genetic issue as not having optimal designs (Wonderlich, et al., 2007).

Furthermore, to support their argument further, Wonderlich and the colleagues reviewed numerous scale related to sexual abuse with a different construct. In particular, the authors examine scales such as depression, perfectionism, self-concept, self-body image and substance abuse. One general observation from their review is that children that were sexually abused displayed more eating disorders compared to those who were not abused (Wonderlich, et al., 2007). Wonderlich and colleagues try to explain how childhood abuse causes eating disorder by looking at mediating variable. In the article, Wonderlich and his colleges examined multiple casual models. Some of the potential mediators that they examined are the use of substances and impulsive behaviors (Wonderlich, et al., 2007).

Moreover, to provide more evidence, Wonderlich and colleagues categorizes women into four categories, which they review. The categories include one, women who suffered childhood sexual abuse as well as rape.  Two, women who had suffered childhood abuse alone, three, women who had been raped, and four-control category that included women who had not experienced any form of sexual abuse.  In the article the Wonderlich and colleagues present data on women who fit in one of the above categories and thoroughly assess them. They use tools such as differential assessment of the personality pathology (DAPP) and structured clinical interview for DSM axis disorder (SCID) to assess these women. After a thorough assessment, wonderlich and his colleagues found that identifying problem was the mediating risk factor for childhood sexual abuse. Interestingly, they found that childhood sexual abuse is a more important risk factor in rape with the outcome of eating disorders.

Finally, Wonderlich and colleagues concluded that indeed childhood abuse is related with eating disorder. In cases where the abuse was rape, a child is more likely to develop an eating disorder.

Brewerton T.D. et al. (2011). Disordered eating in children with alleged maltreatment. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 4, 401-412.

In the article “disordered eating in children with alleged maltreatment,” Brewerton and his colleagues argues that rape is five times likely to occur in people with bulimia and twice as likely to people with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).  Brewerton and his colleagues arrived at this conclusion after carrying out a study that involved 111 children who were referred for forensic evaluation. One of the major findings of their study was that forty percent of girls and twenty-nine percent of the boys had developed eating disorders, anxiety and PTSD. Interestingly, Brewerton and his colleagues found that while subscales were highly correlated to eating disorder, there were no correlations between CBCL and eating disorder (Brewerton et al. 2011). The main point that Brewerton and his colleagues wished to put across is that indeed eating disorder is correlated with maltreatment. Brewerton and his colleagues study are well done; however it lacks the use of a structured diagnostic interview and only relies on clinician interviews.

In conclusion, the work in these articles is well presented. The main point that the articles put across is that children with a history of sexual abuse will suffer clinical distress. According to Rutter, M. (2008), this is because sexually abused children manage the distress by employing maladaptive behavior as coping skills. Such children are thus more prone to developing some form of eating disorder.  The findings of these two articles are important in determining the most appropriate method of identifying and treating individuals who experience some form of sexual abuse. Plante, (2013) observed that Children who suffer some form of abuse exhibits academic difficulties and disruptive behaviors. Additionally, the negative effect of childhood abuse can carry into adolescence. The implications of such finding serve to magnify the importance of early identification and treatment of children who suffered some form of sexual abuse.

Reference

Brewerton T.D. et al. (2011). Disordered eating in children with alleged maltreatment. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 30, 4, 401-412.

Rutter, M. (2008). Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry. Malden, Mass: Blackwell Pub.

Wonderlich, S.A., et al (2007). Relationship of childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 36:1107-1115.

Plante, T. G. (2013). Abnormal psychology across the ages.