This series of retrospective studies on long-term effects of father-daughter incest focuses on the quality of relationships in the incestuous family of origin in relation to difficulties incest victims experience in their subsequent relationships in adulthood. Across studies, the victim's relationship with her mother is associated consistently with later interpersonal adjustment, more so than specific aspects of the nature of the sexual abuse, such as duration or the acts involved. Victims who describe their mothers as uninvolved or negatively controlling or failing to believe the abuse was real report (1) significantly more marital distress, particularly in the areas of intimacy, trust, and affective communication, and (2) more difficulties in childrearing, particularly in the areas of consistency and autonomy promotion. Current work is aimed at (1) links between incest, adult personality disorder, and relationship problems with spouses and offspring, and (2) links between coping strategies during the abuse and adult psychopathology.
