Victimization of women and its impact on assessment and treatment in the psychiatric emergency setting

The focus of this article is to provide staff who work in psychiatric emerg ency settings with a better understanding of women who have undergone sexua l or physical trauma at some time in their past. Victimization has adverse physical and mental health effects and affects a woman's clinical presentat ion, her coping skills, and the crisis intervention strategies needed to tr eat her. This article reviews issues of victimization among women, includin g the prevalence and sequelae of victimization, and provides a theoretical framework for acute, crisis-oriented intervention and treatment.