Sexual abuse history of women treated in a psychiatric outpatient clinic

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.