Citation

Jenkins EJ, Bell CC, Taylor J, Walker L. J. Natl. Med. Assoc. 1989; 81(3): 246-252.

Comment In:

J Natl Med Assoc 1990;.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, National Medical Association (USA))

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2709427

PMCID

PMC2571630

Abstract

A sample of 54 adult psychiatric outpatients, previously identified as victims of sexual or physical assault, were interviewed regarding their childhood and adult victimization experiences. Patients were questioned about the nature of the assaults, their relationship to the perpetrator(s), the number of assaults suffered in each relationship, and whether the assault(s) occurred before or after the onset of their mental illness. Eighty percent of the sample had experienced major physical assault as an adult and 59% had experienced major physical assault as a child; 37% and 31%, respectively, reported major sexual assault as a child and as an adult. Women were more likely than men to report physical and sexual assault as an adult and sexual assault as a child. Childhood assault most often occurred before the onset of the patient's mental illness; whereas, adult sexual assault for women and physical and sexual assault for men was as likely to occur after the onset of the psychiatric disorder, suggesting an increased vulnerability to victimization for the adult mentally ill.

Language: en