Prevalence and characteristics of physical and sexual abuse...

Prevalence and characteristics of physical and sexual abuse among psychiatric outpatients.

Authors: Lipschitz DS, Kaplan ML, Sorkenn JB, Faedda GL, Chorney P, Asnis GM.
Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut, USA.
Psychiatr Serv 1996 Feb;47(2):189-91

Eighty-six female and 34 male psychiatric outpatients completed a self-report questionnaire that retrospectively assessed their history of physical and sexual abuse and assault. Seventy percent reported an abusive experience in childhood or adulthood. Female subjects were more likely than male subjects to report childhood sexual abuse and adult physical and sexual assaults. For all subjects, childhood sexual abuse was associated with adult sexual and physical assault. The charts of several patients who reported abuse histories did not include any record of abuse.