Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

Sexual and physical abuse among Korean female inpatients with schizophrenia.

Kim D, Kaspar V, Noh S, Nam JH

Hanyang University and HY University Hospital of Guri, South Korea. dkim9289@ihanyang.ac.kr

The study reports the prevalence and correlates of sexual and physical abuse in a sample of 100 female inpatients with schizophrenia in South Korea. Clinical assessment interviews consisted of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, an interview assessing history of sexual and repeated physical abuse, and demographic and psychosocial factors. Lifetime prevalence of severe sexual or physical abuse was 52%. Compared with nonabused patients (n = 48), the abused patients (n = 52) showed more nonpsychotic symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression) and higher levels of distress, but no difference in psychotic symptoms. This study failed to note significant differences in positive symptoms addressed in previous Western studies.

Published 18 April 2006 in J Trauma Stress, 19(2): 279-89.
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