Psychological Resilience for South Asian females impacted by childhood sexual abuse

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) represents a pervasive global health and psychological concern. The complexity of CSA stems from variations in defining it, cultural perceptions of what constitutes CSA, and a lack of focused research on the subject, particularly in marginalized communities (Sanjeevi et al., 2018). CSA is deemed as traumatic according to Western psychological frameworks and it is estimated that 70% of individuals will experience a traumatic event. However, only 6% will develop mental health diagnoses, typically PTSD, therefore resilient outcomes are possible (Benjit et al., 2016; Bonanno, 2004).

Methodology: A mixed method intercultural study by Bisnath (2024), explored hope, spirituality/religiosity and community support as factors in the development of resilience for South Asian females impacted by CSA (individuals were from the South Asian diaspora and had immigrated to Ontario, Canada).

Findings: Hope, spirituality/religiosity contributed to the development of resilience and community support was deemed to be both a help and hindrance.