Design and validation of a questionnaire for the detection of child sexual abuse in adults with addiction

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: the main objective of this work has been to design and validate a specific questionnaire to assess Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) in adults with addiction problems. Materials and method: a 120-item questionnaire was designed to measure different psychopathological sequelae that are present in people who have suffered CSA. Validation was carried out with a group of experts and a pilot study in which 151 people (68 women and 83 men) residing in Spain participated. Different statistical methods were used for data analysis. Results: the results showed that the questionnaire could be reduced to 21 items, achieving adequate psychometric guarantees, both in terms of validity and reliability (α =,872). Conclusions: The present instrument allows the detection of symptoms related to ASI, allowing the clinician to carry out a broader exploration in this area to rule out ASI or other disorders and to improve treatment planning.