Prevalence of childhood victimization experiences in psychiatric patients: a systematic review

Abstract

Studies have found high prevalence rates of childhood victimization within psychiatric patients, with a solid association between its occurrence and adult mental disorders. However, several limitations persist in this field of investigation, leading to a fragmentation of the knowledge concerning the prevalence of childhood victimization in adult psychiatric patients and limiting the acting range of the mental health community. In order to better understand the current status of the investigation in the field, we undertook a systematic review aimed at identifying studies that assessed the prevalence of childhood victimization experiences in adult psychiatric patients Our results showed that emotional abuse had the highest prevalence range, varying from 20.8 % to 94.3 %. Some studies used non validated measures to assess childhood victimization, while other studies lacked a definition of childhood victimization. We need more methodologically sound studies, with clear definitions of childhood victimization, in order to allow comparison across studies and to gain a clear picture of the prevalence rates of childhood victimization within psychiatric patients.