title: Women with exposure to childhood interpersonal violence without psychiatric diagnoses show no signs of impairment in general functioning, quality of life and sexuality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood interpersonal violence is a major risk factor for developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), other axis-I disorders or Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and childhood physical abuse (CPA) who meet the criteria of any axis-I disorder usually also exhibit general psychopathologic symptoms and impairments in quality of life and sexuality. The present study investigates whether women with a history of potentially traumatic CSA/CPA without any axis-I disorder or BPD show subthreshold symptoms of PTSD-specific and general psychopathology and impairments in global functioning, quality of life, and sexuality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained fromN= 92 female participants:n= 31 participants with a history of potentially traumatic CSA/CPA (defined as fulfilling PTSD criterion A) without any axis-I disorder or BPD;n= 31 participants with PTSD related to CSA/CPA; andn= 30 healthy controls without any traumatic experiences. All three groups were matched for age and education. Those with a history of CSA/CPA with and without PTSD were further matched with regard to severity of physical and sexual abuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While women with a history of potentially traumatic CSA/CPA without axis-I disorder or BPD clearly differed from the PTSD-group in the collected measures, they did not differ from healthy controls (e.g., GAF:87, BSI:0.3, BDI-II:4.5). They showed neither PTSD-specific nor general subthreshold symptoms nor any measurable restrictions in quality of life or sexual satisfaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with a history of potentially traumatic childhood interpersonal violence without axis-I disorder or BPD show a high level of functioning and a low level of pathological impairment that are comparable to the level of healthy controls. Further studies are needed to identify what helped these women survive these potentially traumatic experiences without developing any mental disorders.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  German Clinical Trials Registration ID: DRKS00006095. Registered 21 May 2014.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thome
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ludäscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Varrentrappstr. 40-42, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller-Engelmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology and Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Varrentrappstr. 40-42, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steil
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Unter den, Linden 6, 10999 Berlin Germany.
authors.forename: Kathlen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Priebe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Unter den, Linden 6, 10999 Berlin Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fydrich
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kleindienst
keywords: Childhood physical abuse; Childhood sexual abuse; Psychopathology; Quality of life; Sexuality