ABSTRACT

Adults and young people with somatoform disorders and somatic symptoms retrospectively report high rates of sexual abuse. We aimed to assess somatic symptoms in young people in the aftermath of a sexual assault and to document links with assault characteristics, with psychopathology and with related functional impairment. This was a prospective cohort study of adolescents seen in specialized clinics in London in the first 6 weeks following a sexual assault and at 4–5 months follow-up. We enquired about somatic symptoms (headaches, abdominal pain and sickness) pre and post assault, and we assessed psychiatric disorders and functional impairment at follow-up using validated scales. Information was obtained on 94 females (mean age 15.6, SD 1.3). There was a statistically significant increase in the number of adolescents reporting somatic symptoms at 4-5-month follow-up (65/94, 69%) (p = 0.035), compared with estimated pre-assault rates (52/94, 55%) and a significant increase in somatic symptoms at follow-up among the victims of violent sexual abuse (p < .001). Subjects with somatic symptoms at follow-up had significant higher rates of psychiatric disorders – especially generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder and major depressive disorders – as well as lower psychosocial functioning (p < 0.01), than those without somatic symptoms.

摘要

患有躯体形式障碍和躯体症状的成年人和年轻人回顾性地报告性虐待率很高。我们旨在评估性侵犯后年轻人的躯体症状，并记录与攻击特征、精神病理学和相关功能障碍的联系。这是一项针对性侵犯后前 6 周和 4-5 个月随访期间在伦敦专科诊所就诊的青少年进行的前瞻性队列研究。我们询问了袭击前后的躯体症状（头痛、腹痛和疾病），并使用经过验证的量表评估了随访时的精神疾病和功能障碍。获得了 94 名女性（平均年龄 15.6 岁，标准差 1.3）的信息。与估计的攻击前发生率（52/94, 55 %)，并且在暴力性虐待受害者的随访中躯体症状显着增加 (p < .001)。与没有躯体症状的受试者相比，随访时有躯体症状的受试者的精神疾病发生率显着更高，尤其是广泛性焦虑症、恐慌症和重度抑郁症，以及较低的社会心理功能（p < 0.01）。