Abstract
The problem of violence against individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) has received relatively little notice, despite several studies suggesting an exceptionally high prevalence of victimization in this population. This paper describes the results of an investigation of the prevalence and correlates of past year physical and sexual assault among a large sample of women and men with SMI drawn from inpatient and outpatient settings across 4 states. Results confirmed preliminary findings of a high prevalence of victimization in this population (with sexual abuse more prevalent for women and physical abuse more prevalent for men), and indicated the existence of a range of correlates of recent victimization, including demographic factors and living circumstances, history of childhood abuse, and psychiatric illness severity and substance abuse. The research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amaya-Jackson, L., Davidson, J. R., Hughes, D. C., Swartz, M., Reynolds, V., George, L. K., & Blazer, D. G. (1999). Functional impairment and utilization of services associated with posttraumatic stress in the community. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12, 709–724.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Bassuk, E. L., Buckner, J. C., Perloff, J. N., & Bassuk, S. S. (1998). Prevalence of mental health and substance abuse disorders among homeless and low-income housed mothers. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(11), 1561–1564.
Breslau, N., Davis, G. C., Andreski, P., & Peterson, E. (1991). Traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban population of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 216–222.
Browne, A., & Bassuk, S. S. (1997). Intimate violence in the lives of homeless and poor housedwomen: Prevalence and patterns in an ethnically diverse sample. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 67, 261–278.
Byrne, C. A., Resnick, H. S., Kilpatrick, D. G., Best, C. L., & Saunders, B. E. (1999). The socioeconomic impact of interpersonal violence on women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 362–366.
Cascardi, M., Mueser, K. T., DeGirolomo, J., & Murrin, M. (1996). Physical aggression against psychiatric inpatients by family members and partners: A descriptive study. Psychiatric Services, 47, 531–533.
Center for Mental Health Services. (1996). Mental Health, United States (DHHS Pub. No. (SMA)96-3098). Washington, DC: Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Office.
Cloitre, M., Tardiff, K., Marzuk, P. M., Leon, A. C., & Potera, L. (1996). Childhood abuse and subsequent sexual assault among female inpatients. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 473–482.
DeLisi, L. E. (1992). The significance of age of onset for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 18, 209–215.
Federal Register, 64(52), March 18, 1999, 13428–13430.
First, M. B., Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., & Williams, J. B.W. (1996). Structured Clinical Interview for Axes I and II DSM-IV Disorders—Patient Edition (SCID-I/P). New York: Biometrics Research Department, New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Gidycz, C. A., Hanson, K., & Layman, M. J. (1995). A prospective analysis of the relationships among sexual assault experiences. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 5–29.
Goldman, H. H., Gattozzi, A. A., & Taube, C. A. (1981). Defining and counting the chronically mentally ill. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 32, 21–27.
Goodman, L. A. (1991). The prevalence of abuse among homeless and housed poor mothers: A comparison study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61, 489–500.
Goodman, L. A., Dutton, M. A., & Harris, M. (1997). The relationship between violence dimensions and symptom severity among, homeless, mentally ill women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 51–70.
Goodman, L. A., & Fallot, R. D. (1998). HIV risk-behavior in poor urban women with serious mental disorders: Association with childhood physical and sexual abuse. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68, 73–83.
Goodman, L. A., Rosenberg, S. D., Mueser, K. T., & Drake, R. E. (1997). Physical and sexual assault history inwomen with serious mental illness: Prevalence, correlates, treatment and future research. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 23, 685–696.
Goodman, L. A., Thompson, K. M., Weinfurt, K., Corl, S., Acker, P., Mueser, K. T., & Rosenberg, S. D. (1999). Reliability of reports of violent victimization and PTSD among men and women with severe mental illness. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12, 587–599.
Hiday, V. A., Swartz, M. S., Swanson, J.W., Borum, R., & Wagner, H. R. (1999). Criminal victimization of persons with severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 50, 62–68.
Johnstone, E. C., Owens, D. G. C., Colter, N., & Crow, T. J. (1989). The spectrum of structural changes in the brain in schizophrenia: Age of onset as a predictor of clinical and cognitive impairments and their cerebral correlates. Psychological Medicine, 19, 91–103.
Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048–1060.
Kilpatrick, D. G., Aceierno, R., Resnick, H. S., Saunders, B. E., & Best, C. L. (1997). A 2-year longitudinal analysis of the relationship between violent assault and substance abuse in women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 834–847.
Koss, M. P., & Dinero, T. E. (1989). Discriminant analysis of risk factors for sexual victimization among a national sample of college women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 242–250.
Koss, M. P., Goodman, L. A., Browne, A., Fitzgerald, L. F., Keita, G. P., & Russo, N. F. (1994). Male violence against women at home, at work and in the community. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Mueser, K. T., Goodman, L. B., Trumbetta, S. L., Rosenberg, S. D., Osher, F. C., Vidaver, R., Aucielo, P., & Foy, D.W. (1998). Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in severe mental illness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 493–499.
National Institute of Mental Health. (1994). Announcement of community support system strategy development and implementation. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health.
Rodriguez, N., Ryan, S. W., Van De Kemp, H., & Foy, D. W. (1997). Posttraumatic stress disorder in adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse: A comparison study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 53–59.
Rosenberg, S. D., Drake, R. E., Wolford, G. L., Mueser, K. T., Oxman, T. E., Vidaver, R. M., Carrieri, K. L., & Luckoor, R. (1998). Dartmouth assessment of lifestyle instrument (DALI): A substance use disorder screen for people with severe mental illness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 232–238.
Rosenberg, S. D., Goodman, L. A., Osher, F. C., Swartz, M., Essock, S. M., Butterfield, M. I., & Constantine, N. T. (2001). Prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in people with severe mental illness. American Journal of Public Health, 91(1), 31–37.
Russell, D. E. H. (1986). The secret trauma: Incest in the lives of girls and women. New York: Basic.
Ryan, S. W., Rodriguez, N., Rowan, A., & Foy, D. W. (1992, August). Psychometric analysis of the Sexual Abuse Exposure Questionnaire (SAEQ). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC.
Schinnar, A., Rothbard, A., Kanter, R., & Jung, Y. (1990). An empirical literature review of definitions of severe and persistent mental illness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 1602–1608.
Solomon, S. D., & Davidson, J. R. T. (1997). Trauma: Prevalence, impairment, service use, and cost. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58, 5–11.
Straus, M. (1989a). Measuring intra-family conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics Scales. In M. Straus & R. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8145 families (pp. 29–47). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
Straus, M. (1989b). Newscoring methods for violence and newnorms for the Conflict Tactics Scales. In M. Straus & R. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8145 families (pp. 535–559). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1990). Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8145 families (pp. 29–47). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
Straus, M. A., Hamby, S. L., Boney-McCoy, S., & Sugarman, D. B. (1996). The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): Development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283–316.
Suvisaari, J. M., Haukka, J., Tanskanen, A., & Lonnqvist, J. K. (1998). Age at onset and outcome in schizophrenia are related to the degree of familial loading. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 494–500.
Switzer, G. E., Dew, M. A., Thompson, K., Goycoolea, J. M., Dericott, T., & Mullins, S. D. (1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder and service utilization among urban mental health center clients. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12, 25–39.
Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (1998, November). Prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the national violence against women survey. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Research in Brief, Washington DC.
Wilson, A. E., Calhoun, K. S., & Bernat, J. A. (1999). Risk recognition and trauma-related symptoms among sexually revictimized women. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 67, 705–710.
Wyatt, G. E., Guthrie, D., & Notgrass, C. M. (1992). Differential effects of women's childhood sexual abuse and subsequent revictimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 167–173.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Goodman, L.A., Salyers, M.P., Mueser, K.T. et al. Recent Victimization in Women and Men with Severe Mental Illness: Prevalence and Correlates. J Trauma Stress 14, 615–632 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013026318450
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013026318450