Full access

Letter

Published Online: 1 April 2000

A Question of Abuse

John Read, Ph.D., and Nick Argyle, M.R.C.Psych., F.R.A.N.Z.C.P.Authors Info & Affiliations

Publication: Psychiatric Services

https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.51.4.534-a

In Reply: We thank Dr. Good for raising the crucially important issue of whether current clinical practice is more likely to exaggerate or underestimate prevalence rates of child abuse. Research suggests that the latter is far more likely than the former. In studies asking psychiatric patients about child abuse, the percentage of abuse disclosed to the researchers that had been identified by clinicians is alarmingly low, ranging from 0 to 30 percent (1).

A survey of users of mental health services found that 65 percent disclosed abuse to the researcher, but only 21 percent of this group had been asked about abuse at assessment (2). Even when inpatient admission forms include a specific section for abuse history, only a third of patients are asked about abuse (3).

Dr. Good offers no research evidence to support his suggestion that reports of possible abuse might later be translated into definite cases. Indeed, the available research suggests the opposite. For example, a recent study of 200 community mental health center (CMHC) outpatients found that 58 cases of abuse noted in previous files, which were attached to the current files, failed to produce any mention whatsoever of that abuse in the notes of the current CMHC clinicians (4).

There is also no evidence for the pervasive, and damaging, belief that psychotic patients are more likely to make false or imagined abuse allegations. Reports of abuse by people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia are as reliable as those made by the general population (5). The available evidence suggests that psychiatric inpatients underreport rather than overreport abuse (1).

References

Read J: Child abuse and psychosis: a literature review and implications for professional practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 28:448-456, 1997

Crossref

Google Scholar

Lothian J: From Paternalism to Participation. Master's thesis, Auckland, New Zealand, University of Auckland, 1998

Google Scholar

Read J, Fraser A: Abuse histories of psychiatric inpatients: to ask or not to ask? Psychiatric Services 49:355-359, 1998

Google Scholar

Agar K: Abuse Inquiry in Practice. Master's thesis, Auckland, New Zealand, University of Auckland, 1998

Google Scholar

Darves-Bornoz J-M, Lemperiere T, Degiovanni A, et al: Sexual victimization in women with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 30:78-84, 1995

Crossref

PubMed

Google Scholar

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Psychiatric Services

Volume 51 • Number 4 • April 2000

Pages: 534-a - 535

History

Published online: 1 April 2000

Published in print: April 2000

Authors

Details

John Read, Ph.D.

View all articles by this author

Nick Argyle, M.R.C.Psych., F.R.A.N.Z.C.P.

View all articles by this author

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format	RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks
Direct importt
Citation style
Style

Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

View Options

View options

PDF/EPUB

View PDF/EPUB

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Purchase Options

Purchase this article to access the full text.

PPV Articles - Psychiatric Services

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR^® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

A Question of Abuse

References