[Mental disorders in a female patient with childhood sexual abuse--schizophrenia or complex PTSD].

The paper presents the definition, synonyms of child sexual abuse and a short overview of the current knowledge about long-term effects of that kind of trauma. The case of a female patient with diagnosed schizophrenia and a history of being sexually abused in childhood who was hospitalised at The Department of Psychiatry in Lublin is described. Sexual abuse of the child is prolonged, repeated trauma, thus another probable diagnosis--Complex PTSD is discussed. The diagnosis of PTSD includes the symptoms that result when a person experiences a short-lived trauma. However, chronic trauma like child sexual abuse continue for months or years at a time and a new diagnosis called Complex PTSD describes the symptoms of long-term trauma.