Childhood physical abuse in outpatients with psychosomatic symptoms

Masanori Handa¹ , Hideyuki Nukina² , Masako Hosoi³ and Chiharu Kubo³

¹Tachiarai Hospital, 842-1 Yamaguma, Chikuzen-machi, Asakura-gun, Fukuoka 838-0823, Japan

²Mitsubishi Kobe Hospital, 6-1-34 Hyogo-ku, Kobe 652-0863, Japan

³Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan

author email corresponding author email

BioPsychoSocial Medicine 2008, 2:8doi:10.1186/1751-0759-2-8


Published:	21 March 2008

Abstract

Background

In Japan and Asia, few studies have been done of physical and sexual abuse. This study was aimed to determine whether a history of childhood physical abuse is associated with anxiety, depression and self-injurious behavior in outpatients with psychosomatic symptoms.

Methods

We divided 564 consecutive new outpatients at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of Kyushu University Hospital into two groups: a physically abused group and a non-abused group. Psychological test scores and the prevalence of self-injurious behavior were compared between the two groups.

Results

A history of childhood physical abuse was reported by patients with depressive disorders(12.7%), anxiety disorders(16.7%), eating disorders (16.3%), pain disorders (10.8%), irritable bowel syndrome (12.5%), and functional dyspepsia(7.5%). In both the patients with depressive disorders and those with anxiety disorders, STAI-I (state anxiety) and STAI-II (trait anxiety) were higher in the abused group than in the non-abused group (p < 0.05).

In the patients with depressive disorders, the abused group was younger than the non-abused group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of self-injurious behavior of the patients with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and pain disorders was higher in the abused groups than in the non-abused groups (p < 0.005).

Conclusion

A history of childhood physical abuse is associated with psychological distress such as anxiety, depression and self-injurious behavior in outpatients with psychosomatic symptoms. It is important for physicians to consider the history of abuse in the primary care of these patients.