Girls who have been sexually or physically abused during childhood are twice as likely to develop severe mental problems, according to a study from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College in London. The effect did not hold true for boys.
Dr. Helen Fisher and her colleagues studied two groups of people between the ages of 16 and 64. Women in the study group who had histories of psychosis were more likely to have been abused as children.
Dr. Fisher said she believes that these girls learn to distance themselves from other people and to "internalize" their difficulties. "These findings point to a need for gender-specific interventions for abused children to prevent later mental health and behavioral problems," she said.
The study appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Labels: abuse, mental health
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
