The prevalence of sexual abuse and its association with specific axis I
diagnoses among 38 women patients in a psychiatric outpatient clinic were
examined. Sexual abuse history was recorded in a face-to-face interview,
severity of the abuse was rated on a 3-point scale, and the Structured
Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R and a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
scale were administered. Twenty-seven of the 38 patients (71 percent) had
experienced sexual abuse. Anxiety disorders and affective disorders were
the most frequent axis I disorders among the sexually abused patients. No
significant relationship was found between abuse and severity of PTSD
scores.
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