Document Detail


Sexual and physical abuse history in gastroenterology practice: how types of abuse impact health status.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8677288     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: There is an increasing amount of literature pointing to a relationship between sexual and/or physical abuse history and poor health status, although few studies provide evidence concerning which aspects of abuse may impact on health. In female patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, the present study examined the effects on health status of: 1) history of sexual abuse and physical abuse, 2) invasiveness or seriousness of sexual abuse and physical abuse, and 3) age at first sexual and physical abuse. METHOD: The sample included 239 female patients from a referral gastroenterology clinic who were interviewed to assess sexual and physical abuse history. RESULTS: We found the following: 1) 66.5% of patients experienced some type of sexual and/or physical abuse; 2) women with sexual abuse history had more pain, non-GI somatic symptoms, bed disability days, lifetime surgeries, psychological distress, and functional disability compared to those without sexual abuse; 3) women with physical abuse also had worse health outcome on most health status indicators; 4) rape (intercourse) and life-threatening physical abuse seem to have worse health effects than less serious physical violence, and sexual abuse involving attempts and touch; and 5) those with first abuse in childhood did not appear to differ on health from those whose first abuse was as adults. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that asking about abuse should be integrated into history taking within referral-based gastroenterology practices.
Authors:
J Leserman; D A Drossman; Z Li; T C Toomey; G Nachman; L Glogau
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Psychosomatic medicine     Volume:  58     ISSN:  0033-3174     ISO Abbreviation:  Psychosom Med     Publication Date:    1996 Jan-Feb
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1996-08-15     Completed Date:  1996-08-15     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0376505     Medline TA:  Psychosom Med     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  4-15     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill 27599-7160, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Child Abuse / diagnosis*,  psychology*
Child Abuse, Sexual / diagnosis*,  psychology*
Female
Gastrointestinal Diseases / complications,  etiology*
Health Status*
Humans
Interview, Psychological
Longitudinal Studies
Middle Aged
Pain / etiology
Questionnaires
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
MH46959/MH/NIMH NIH HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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