Sexual and physical abuse histories and psychiatric symptoms among male psychiatric outpatients

Of 125 consecutive male patients at an adult psychiatric outpatient clinic, 48% reported histories of sexual abuse and/or physical abuse. The mean scores on the global severity index of the SCL-90-R at the first visit were significantly higher for those who reported histories of abuse than for those who had no such history. Childhood abuse also was associated with high levels of psychiatric symptoms in these men.