Sexual Abuse in Adolescents – Data From a Psychiatric Treatment Centre for Adolescents

This study determined the prevalence of sexual abuse in a large sample of adolescent psychiatric patients & to compare sexually abused patients with non-sexually abused patients, the latter category including non-sexually physically abused & non-abused patients. The problem of sexual abuse among South African youth is confirmed by this study. The association between sexual abuse & depression, suicidal symptoms & alcohol use is supported. The country’s dwindling psychiatric services therefore face an increasingly challenging future. (15 refs)