Victims of violence and psychiatric illness

The authors investigated the relationship between physical and sexual abuse and psychiatric illness. The life experiences of 188 male and female psychiatric patients were reconstructed through an in-depth examination of psychiatric inpatient records. Almost half of the patients had histories of physical and/or sexual abuse; 90% of the abused patients had been victimized by family members. The abused patients' responses to chronic victimization included difficulty in coping with anger and aggression, impaired self-esteem, and inability to trust. The authors compare male and female victims and discuss the clinical implications of abuse.