Child Sexual Abuse within the Catholic Church in Spain: A Descriptive Analysis of its Characteristics and Long-Term Impact.

Sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is a serious social issue and a significant public health problem that has caused extensive harm worldwide. In 2022, an independent commission was established in Spain to investigate sexual abuse within the Church. The commission gathered data from 334 victims (82.3% men, 17.7% women), who were predominantly aged between 55 and 74 years old (62.5%). A majority of victims (71.0%) endured sexual abuse involving physical contact, while 21% reported instances of oral, anal, or vaginal penetration. Over half of the victims (57.5%) reported emotional and behavioral issues, as well as functional problems, problems in relationships, sexuality, and cognition, and attributed these difficulties to the abuse. The majority of participants (79.0%) had disclosed the abuse before the study, with the Church taking action in 45.8% of cases. Approximately 8.4% of victims reported the perpetrator was relocated, while 16.2% described institutional efforts to conceal the abuse. In conclusion, victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Spain faced consequences that had a significant impact on their lives, exacerbated by lack of societal recognition and a prevalent dynamic of cover-up and concealment by the Church.

Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and associations with lower mental well-being among university students.

BACKGROUND: University students report high levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can lead to severe mental health problems. Understanding how ACEs impact well-being in this population is essential, yet research to date is limited. OBJECTIVE: To explore ACE patterns and their association with lower well-being in university students. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 1023 Spanish students (71.6 % female) aged between 18 and 64 years old (M = 20.10, SD = 3.93) completed a self-report questionnaire. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design. The ACE International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale were used to assess, respectively, childhood adversities and mental well-being. Latent Class Analysis and regression modeling were conducted to analyze the link between ACEs and lower mental well-being, considering the covariates of age, country of origin, sexual orientation, and mental illness. RESULTS: Four ACE classes were identified: Low ACEs (49.5 %), Dysfunctional Household (12.3 %), Household and Peer Abuse (31.0 %), and High ACEs (7.2 %). The regression analysis (F(3, 1007) = 19.2, p < .001, R2adj = 0.054) successfully predicted well-being scores based on ACE classes. When compared with the Low ACE class, all other classes exhibited lower levels of well-being. Age, sexual orientation, and mental illness were also related to lower well-being, with mental illness having the strongest negative effect (ß = -0.635, t(1015) = -6.49, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the relationship between childhood adversity and mental health, offering insights for future prevention efforts and enriching our understanding of ACEs and their impact on well-being.

Prevalencia de experiencias adversas y victimización en personas adultas con trastorno mental grave en Barcelona / Prevalence of adverse and victimization experiences in adult people with severe mental illness in Barcelona

Objetivo: Conocer la extensión y las características de las experiencias adversas y de victimización en una muestra de personas adultas con un trastorno mental grave residentes en la ciudad de Barcelona. Método: Estudio descriptivo, cuantitativo y transversal. Las experiencias adversas y de victimización se evaluaron a partir de 26 ítems del Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), el cual se amplió para incluir experiencias acontecidas en la edad adulta. Se entrevistó a 74 personas con trastorno mental grave (edad media: 42,03 años; desviación estándar: 9,60). Resultados: Todas las personas entrevistadas reportaron haber vivido como mínimo dos victimizaciones a lo largo de su vida. Las más frecuentes fueron los delitos comunes (87,8%) y la victimización por parte de los cuidadores principales (86,5%). Las mujeres presentaban casi 13 veces más probabilidades de sufrir victimización sexual que los hombres a lo largo de la vida (odds ratio: 12,75; intervalo de confianza del 95%: 4,19-38,71). Antes de los 18 años destaca la alta prevalencia de violencia física por parte de los cuidadores principales (52,7%) y el abuso sexual infantil (32,4%). Conclusiones: La victimización sufrida por las personas con un trastorno mental grave es un problema extendido que ha recibido muy poca atención. Los resultados de este estudio son coherentes con los obtenidos en investigaciones previas y ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de trasladar estos conocimientos a la práctica médica, teniéndolos en cuenta para desarrollar tratamientos con un abordaje integral de la salud mental.(AU)

Objective: To describe the extension of the adverse experiences, including victimization, lived in childhood and adulthood in a sample of people with severe mental illness residing in Barcelona, Spain. Method: Descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional study. Adverse and victimization experiences were assessed using 26 items from the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-IQ). Items were included obtain information regarding victimization during adulthood. Seventy-four people with severe mental illness were interviewed (median age: 42.03 years; standard deviation: 9.60). Results: All participants reported at least two victimization experiences throughout their lifetime. The most frequent experiences were conventional crimes (87.8%) and victimization by caregivers (86.5%). Before age 18, half of the participants reported having experienced physical violence by their caregivers (52.7%) and almost one out of three reported to have been victim of sexual abuse (32.4%). Women were almost 13 times more likely to experience sexual victimization than men throughout their lifetime (odds ratio: 12.75; 95% confidence interval: 4.19–38.71). Conclusions: Victimization experienced by people with severe mental illness is a widespread problem that has received little attention. The results of this study are consistent with those obtained in previous investigations and underscore the need to translate this knowledge into medical practice into medical practice, considering them in order to develop treatments with a comprehensive approach to mental health.(AU)