Levels of dissociation and histories of reported abuse among women outpatients.

A total of 99 female patients consecutively admitted to an adult psychiatric outpatient clinic were surveyed about their history of physical and sexual abuse. Sixty-five percent of this sample reported having been physically abused, sexually abused, or both during their lifetimes. Scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale were significantly higher among those reporting a history of sexual abuse than among those reporting a history of physical abuse or no history of abuse, who did not differ from each other. Dissociative Experiences Scale scores were important predictors of histories of sexual abuse among this sample. The implications of these findings for outpatient evaluation are discussed.