Thirty adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse who
believed they were functioning well were selected through
advertisements in local newspapers and presentations at an
incest-survivor support group. Subjects were assessed by a battery of
structured diagnostic interviews and standardized psychological
measures, including the MMPI, the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40, and the
Dissociative Experiences Scale. The results showed the existence of a
subgroup of survivors of childhood sexual abuse who do not have
devastating long-term psychological effects. Better adult
psychological functioning was predicted by certain characteristics of
the abuse, the family system, and the survivors.