Sexual Abuse and Lifetime Diagnosis of Psychiatric Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Dr. Ali Zirakzadeh discusses a systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies involving more than 3 million people that examined the relationship between sexual abuse and lifetime psychiatric disorders. The research found significant associations between sexual abuse and anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, suicide attempts, PTSD, and sleep disorders, with most associations remaining regardless of whether the abuse occurred during childhood or adulthood or whether the survivor was male or female. The findings emphasize the importance of healthcare providers, particularly those in primary care, recognizing a history of sexual abuse when patients present with psychiatric conditions or high healthcare utilization, as early identification and referral may improve treatment and outcomes. The study also explores how genetic differences may influence why some survivors develop more severe psychiatric symptoms than others, potentially opening the door to more targeted screening and treatments in the future.