title: Dissociative symptoms in relation to childhood physical and sexual abuse.
abstract: Studies have reported high rates of childhood abuse in people with psychiatric illness. This study examined whether dissociative symptoms are specific to patients with histories of abuse. Ninety-eight female psychiatric inpatients completed self-report instruments that focused on childhood history of trauma, dissociative symptoms, and psychiatric symptoms in general. Sixty-three percent of the subjects reported physical and/or sexual abuse. Eighty-three percent had dissociative symptom scores above the median score of normal adults, and 24% had scores at or above the median score of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Subjects with a history of childhood abuse reported higher levels of dissociative symptoms than those who did not.
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis