POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER IN ADULT FEMALE SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE - A COMPARISON STUDY

This study compared symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) i n a group of 45 adult women in outpatient treatment for childhood sexu al abuse (CSA) and a group of 31 women who reported no CSA. The compar ison group consisted of women in outpatient treatment for problems in their committed relationships with male living partners. This research also investigated the traumatic impact of dual abuse (both childhood sexual and physical abuse). Standardized assessment instruments were u sed to measure PTSD, CSA, and childhood physical abuse (CPA). Results indicated that 86.7% of the CSA group met criteria for current PTSD in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disor ders (3rd ed., revised; American Psychiatric Association, 1987), compa red with 19.4% of the relationship distress group, providing support f or CSA as an etiological agent for PTSD. In addition, 89% of the CSA s urvivors reported CPA. Multivariate analysis revealed that both CSA an d CPA exposure variables accounted for a significant portion of the va riance in PTSD symptoms in the CSA group.