Adult non-survivors: the failure to cope of victims of child abuse.

The long-term effects of child abuse have received significant attention in the research. The adult who is so affected by the trauma of child abuse is less often studied. The adult non-survivor experiences considerable and ultimately massive decompensation and failure in the ability to cope with and adjust to adult stresses. A case study is presented to illustrate this phenomenon. Issues for clinical practice and further research are identified.