Women survivors of child sexual abuse. How can health professionals promote healing?

Objective: To explore how health professionals can practise in ways sensitive to adult women survivors of child sexual abuse.

Design: Qualitative semistructured in-depth interviews.

Setting: Small and midsize cities in Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Participants: Twenty-seven women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Methods: Respondents were asked about their experiences with physical therapists and other health professionals and asked how practice could be sensitive to their needs as survivors. A grounded-theory approach was used. After independent analyses, researchers achieved consensus on the main themes. Findings were checked with participants, other survivors, and mental health professionals.

Main Findings: A crucial theme was the need to feel safe when consulting any health professional. Participants described specific ways for clinicians to facilitate the feeling of safety. Disclosure of abuse history was another key theme; analysis revealed no one "right way" to inquire about it.

Conclusion: Women survivors of child sexual abuse want safe, accepting environments and sensitive, informed health professionals with whom to work in partnership on all their health concerns.