Post-Traumatic Aspects of the Treatment of Victims of Sexual Abuse and Incest

Post-Traumatic Aspects of the Treatment of Victims of Sexual Abuse and Incest

The authors assess the frequency of child abuse and adult traumatization and the presence of symptomatology of post-traumatic stress and dissociation across different DSM-III diagnostic categories. Findings revealed high levels of child abuse among patients with dissociative disorder and borderline personality disorder and that patients with dissociative disorder experience an increased incidence of rape and wife battery in adulthood. The findings from this study and others highlight the need to assess all psychiatric patients for a history of physical or sexual trauma. Major treatment issues in working with traumatized patients, such as the development of trust, abreaction and working through of trauma, and the use of conjoint sessions with concerned others, are discussed.

Psychiatry and Mental health