title: Prevalence and predictors of Axis I disorders in a large sample of treatment-seeking victims of sexual abuse and incest.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a common occurrence and a robust, yet non-specific, predictor of adult psychopathology. While many demographic and abuse factors have been shown to impact this relationship, their common and specific effects remain poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to assess the prevalence of Axis I disorders in a large sample of help-seeking victims of sexual trauma, and to examine the common and specific effects of demographic and abuse characteristics across these different diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were attendees at four treatment centres in Denmark that provide psychological therapy for victims of CSA (N=434). Axis I disorders were assessed using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between CSA characteristics (age of onset, duration, number of abusers, number of abusive acts) and 10 adult clinical syndromes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant variation in the prevalence of disorders and the abuse characteristics were differentially associated with the outcome variables. Having experienced sexual abuse from more than one perpetrator was the strongest predictor of psychopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relationship between CSA and adult psychopathology is complex. Abuse characteristics have both unique and shared effects across different diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Londonderry, UK; mcelroy-e1@email.ulster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Eoin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McElroy
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Londonderry, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shevlin
authors.affiliation: National Center of Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ask
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elklit
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, National College of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.affiliation: National Center of Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychology Research Institute, Ulster University, Londonderry, UK.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murphy
keywords: Axis I disorders; Childhood sexual abuse; adult psychopathology; help-seeking sample; incest; multiple perpetrators; multivariate analysis; sexual trauma