S V McLeer1, M Callaghan, D Henry, J Wallen. 1. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical College of Pennsylvania/Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Philadelphia 19129.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a clinical sample of sexually abused children referred for outpatient evaluation. Two a priori hypotheses were tested: (1) the sexually abused group would have more post-traumatic stress disorder than the non-sexually abused group and (2) non-sexually abused children referred for evaluation would have more diagnoses than the sexually abused group. METHODS:Twenty-six sexually abused children and 23 non-sexually abused children referred for psychiatric outpatient evaluation at a medical school center were matched by age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status and compared to determine differences in prevalence of Axis I, DSM-III-R disorders. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Epidemiologic Version was used for systematic diagnosis. RESULTS: Groups did not differ significantly in the number of diagnoses and, in both groups, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was the most frequent diagnosis. However, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among sexually abused children was significantly greater (p < .02), with 42.3% of sexually abused children and 8.7% of non-sexually abused children meeting full criteria. There were no significant differences between groups in other diagnostic categories. CONCLUSIONS: This study, using structured interviews and comparison groups, confirmed earlier findings suggesting that sexually abused children are at heightened risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a clinical sample of sexually abused children referred for outpatient evaluation. Two a priori hypotheses were tested: (1) the sexually abused group would have more post-traumatic stress disorder than the non-sexually abused group and (2) non-sexually abused children referred for evaluation would have more diagnoses than the sexually abused group. METHODS: Twenty-six sexually abused children and 23 non-sexually abused children referred for psychiatricoutpatient evaluation at a medical school center were matched by age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status and compared to determine differences in prevalence of Axis I, DSM-III-R disorders. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Epidemiologic Version was used for systematic diagnosis. RESULTS: Groups did not differ significantly in the number of diagnoses and, in both groups, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was the most frequent diagnosis. However, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among sexually abused children was significantly greater (p < .02), with 42.3% of sexually abused children and 8.7% of non-sexually abused children meeting full criteria. There were no significant differences between groups in other diagnostic categories. CONCLUSIONS: This study, using structured interviews and comparison groups, confirmed earlier findings suggesting that sexually abused children are at heightened risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Authors: Maija Konstenius; Anders Leifman; Katelijne van Emmerik-van Oortmerssen; Geurt van de Glind; Johan Franck; Franz Moggi; Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga; Frances R Levin; Pieter Jan Carpentier; Arvid Skutle; Eli-Torild Bu; Sharlene Kaye; Zsolt Demetrovics; Csaba Barta; Marc Auriecomb; Melina Fatséas; Brian Johnson; Stephen V Faraone; Steve Allsop; Susan Carruthers; Robert A Schoevers; Sofie Verspreet; Geert Dom; Maarten W J Koeter; Wim van den Brink Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2016-10-24 Impact factor: 3.913