Child Sexual Abuse in Women who Take Overdoses: I. A Study of Prevalence and Severity

72% of the 142 female patients admitted over a 1 year period to a general hospital in England, reported some form of sexual abuse. The degree of severity of the sexual abuse, the age the abuse occurred, and the comparison of severity of abuse with the number of overdoses are charted in this study. The severity of sexual abuse markedly increased in association with the frequency of both overdoses and other self-injury.