REPORTS ON SEXUAL ABUSE BY EATING-DISORDERED WOMEN BEFORE AND AFTER PSYCHOTHERAPY - A COMPARISON OF ANAMNESTIC AND CATAMNESTIC DATA

Prior to inpatient treatment in a specialized clinic, and again 2.7 ye ars after discharge, we questioned 748 eating-disordered women about e xperienced sexual abuse. Within this period of time, during which ther apy had taken place, the recorded incidence of criminally relevant sex ual abuse doubled. The authors believe that this fact is mainly due to the cancellation of amnesia caused by repression, denial or dissociat ion. If so, the frequency of memory recovery would become measurable. We also examine the incidence of sexual abuse within the various diagn ostic groups. We conclude with a discussion of the reliability of the data recorded and of the memory itself ('false memory syndrome'). (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.