Sexual Abuse and Psychopathology in Hospitalized Adolescents

Fifty-four consecutive admissions to an inpatient adolescent psychiatric unit were studied within 2 weeks of hospitalization. Of 54 subjects, 17 acknowledged a history of sexual abuse, intra- or extrafamilial (37.9% of girls, 24% of boys). Although the two groups did not differ in age, IQ, or occurrence of parental death, the sexually-abused group was of lower socioeconomic status and had had higher scores on psychosocial stressors in the past year. These patients had significantly greater severity of depressive symptoms, more hallucinations, had more suicide attempts, and were more likely to be referred for long-term inpatient treatment. Compared with the non-sexually victimized patients, the abused group also showed trends toward more conduct symptoms and more often required neuroleptic medication and longer hospital stays for acute management. The authors emphasize the importance of eliciting a history of sexual abuse from disturbed adolescents in an inpatient unit, especially when severe depressive symptoms are noted.