Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: 54 225: crimes against children reported in 2010/2011 \n 28 128: sexual offences \n 30% of the sexual offences occurred in children younger than ten years. \nThese figures are a stark reminder of the growing number of children who experience \ndeprivation, abuse and maltreatment in South Africa (Unicef, 2013). Although \ncontroversy exists with the reporting methods and the accuracy of recall in adult \npatients, it remains evident that a significant number of female children are sexually \nabused. Associations between early life stress and later life dysregulation of the \nhypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone, cortisol, and the immune system cytokine, \ninterleukin 6, have been found in adult patients and in animal studies. Importantly, \nalthough there is also evidence that early life stress results in later life neurobiological \nchanges, we have to date, no identifiable biological markers to assist with diagnosis or to \ninform treatment strategies in young children who present with early life stress such as \nsexual abuse or maternal neglect. \nThus, there is a growing imperative to establish whether the potential precursor \nbiomarkers are evident in early in development following adverse life conditions. \nTherefore the research focus of the thesis was to investigate (1) whether dysregulation of \nthe HPA axis is evident in young children who are exposed to the traumatic stress of \nabuse, (2) whether there is evidence that inadequate maternal care, during the neonatal \nstage of development, has an impact of HPA and immune function and consequently on
Author: Denise Muller
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2249034811