Physical and sexual abuse histories among children with borderline personality disorder. |
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Authors: | S J Goldman E J D'Angelo D R DeMaso E Mezzacappa |
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Affiliation: | Children's Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115. |
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Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine whether a history of physical or sexual abuse is more common in children with borderline personality disorder than in other children evaluated in the same outpatient psychiatric clinic. METHOD: The authors contrasted rates of abuse in 44 children diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and in 100 comparison children. RESULTS: The borderline personality disorder group had a significantly greater prevalence of physical and combined physical/sexual abuse. Sexual abuse rates alone did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of greater abuse in the group with borderline personality disorder supports the hypothesis that a history of trauma is associated with the disorder. |
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