Consequences of sexual abuse in children and adolescents

The clinical and age-related features of psychogenic disorders in children and adolescents subjected to extrafamilial sexual abuse were studied. A total of 90 victims aged 5-18 years (29 boys, 61 girls) took part. At different stages of the legal situation, victims developed marked psychogenic states with the following ICD-10 diagnoses: acute stress reaction (ICD-40 F43.0) was present in 84%, PTSD (F42.1) in 14%, brief depressive reaction (F43.20) in 34%, prolonged depressive reaction (F43.21) in 24%, phobic anxiety disorders (F40) in 16% of minors (aged 9-13 years), and mixed disturbance of emotion and conduct (F43.25) in 12% of minors. The age-specific characteristics of mental disorders included a predominance of neurotic disorders and rudimentary psychopathological manifestations. The double (nonspecific and specific) role of sexual abuse in forming psychogenic disorders in children is emphasized. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.