Qualitative Meta-Synthesis on Meaning-Making After Sexual Abuse

Seventy-four qualitative, mixed-methods, and review studies on survivors' experiences of meaning-making following sexual abuse were analyzed. The review synthesized findings from 2,158 deduplicated references across six academic databases. It generated twelve themes grouped into three overarching categories: a changed self, reshaping relationships with others, and mapping out a future self and world.

Use Cases

• Analyze the twelve generated themes, such as 'reframing the abuse' and 'moving from shame towards self-acceptance', to model common recovery narratives.
• Examine the three overarching themes of 'a changed self', 'reshaping relationships with others', and 'mapping out a future self and world' for theoretical framework development in trauma psychology.
• Study the methodological approaches described, including participant selection based on resilience or professional support, to inform future qualitative research design.

Strengths

• Synthesis of 74 distinct studies provides a broad evidence base on the topic.
• Systematic search and screening of 2,158 deduplicated references following PRISMA 2020 guidelines ensures methodological rigor.
• Analysis generated twelve specific themes and three overarching themes, offering structured qualitative insights.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 74.9 KB document, containing only the review's synthesized text and not the raw data from the 74 underlying studies.
• As a qualitative meta-synthesis, the findings are interpretive and not suitable for quantitative or statistical analysis.
• The scope is limited to the specific research question of meaning-making, not covering all aspects of sexual abuse recovery.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Geert E. Smid.

Collection Method

Scoping review and meta-synthesis of qualitative, mixed-methods, and review studies from six academic databases (PsycInfo, Ovid Medline ALL, Ovid Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, PTSDpubs, and Web of Science).

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated in March 2026.

Geography

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