Authors names

Uzma Choudhry¹, Simon Rosenbaum¹, Ben-Harris Roxas², Melissa Holmes³, Grace McKeon¹

Affiliations

1. Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW; 2. School of Population Health, UNSW; 3. Stepping Out

Introduction

Adult survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) experience long-term mental, physical health, and social impacts including complex post-traumatic stress disorder, and social exclusion. PA has been shown to protect mental health and improve physical health outcomes. For survivors, traditional PA spaces may be perceived as psychologically unsafe, or inaccessible due to felt shame or fear of re-traumatisation. Therefore, there is a need for trauma-informed, survivor-centred PA programs. Since September 2023, exercise physiologists at Addi Moves, a free, trauma-informed PA facility based in Marrickville, Sydney, have been delivering weekly group exercise programs for female CSA survivors. These sessions have been co-facilitated with industry partner Stepping Out, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to providing support to adult female survivors of CSA as a part of their social inclusion program. Extending our partnership, this study aims to assess survivors past experiences, barriers, facilitators, and priorities related to PA. Findings will inform the development of a targeted, co-designed PA program grounded in trauma-informed practice to promote social and physical health.

Method

This study used qualitative, co-design methodology, informed by the WEAVERS co-production framework for victim-survivors to ensure lived experience informs all stages of the research. The study recruited participants including service users and CSA service providers. Participants took part in semi-structured, trauma-informed interviews, and co-design workshops covering past experiences with PA, barriers and facilitators to PA, and priorities related to PA. Qualitative data from interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Ethics approval was received from UNSW HREC.

Results & findings

Findings from this study provide critical survivor-informed insight into the provision of supportive PA as an adjunct support for adult survivors of CSA.

Discussion

This study may inform future health promotion initiatives to cater to this underserved population.