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Prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in severe mental illness
Maria W Mauritz1, Peter J J Goossens, Nel Draijer
1Community Mental Health Care Unit/Long Treatment, GGNet, Warnsveld, The Netherlands ; Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Background:
Interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with severe mental illness (SMI) are often not recognized in clinical practice.
Objective:
To substantiate the prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with SMI.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review of four databases (1980-2010) and then described and analysed 33 studies in terms of primary diagnosis and instruments used to measure trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders.
Results:
Population-weighted mean prevalence rates in SMI were physical abuse 47% (range 25-72%), sexual abuse 37% (range 24-49%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 30% (range 20-47%). Compared to men, women showed a higher prevalence of sexual abuse in schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and mixed diagnosis groups labelled as having SMI.
Conclusions:
Prevalence rates of interpersonal trauma and trauma-related disorders were significantly higher in SMI than in the general population. Emotional abuse and neglect, physical neglect, complex PTSD, and dissociative disorders have been scarcely examined in SMI.
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