Prevalence Rate and Demographic and Clinical Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse Among New Psychiatric Outpatients in a City in Northern Alberta

ABSTRACT

The prevalence rate for child sexual abuse among new psychiatric outpatients in Fort McMurray was 20.7%. With an odds ratio for sex of 3.30, female patients are about 3 times more likely to report a history of child sexual abuse compared with male patients when controlling for other factors. Similarly, patients with at most high school education and those with previous contact with psychiatric services were about 2 times more likely to report a history of child sexual abuse compared to the patients with college or university education or no previous contact with psychiatric services, respectively. Similarly, patients with histories of substance abuse and patients with family histories of mental illness had higher likelihoods of reporting histories of child sexual abuse compared to patients without histories of substance abuse or family histories of mental illness, respectively. Our findings suggest that victims of child sexual abuse are an at-risk population in need of ongoing mental health and educational support.

KEYWORDS:

• anxiety
• child sexual abuse
• depression
• female
• male
• mental health
• outpatient
• psychiatry

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vincent I. O. Agyapong

Vincent I. O. Agyapong is a clinical associate professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, and the Edmonton Zone Clinical Section Chief for Community Mental Health. His research interest are in global mental health and service development.

Michal Juhás

Michal Juhás is a PhD candidate at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Amanda Ritchie

Amanda Ritchie is a critical care nurse at the intensive care unit, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Fort McMurray, Canada.

Olurotimi Ogunsina

Olurotimi Ogunsina is a consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Fort McMurray, Canada.

Lorella Ambrosano

Lorella Ambrosano is a consultant psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Fort McMurray, Canada.

Sandra Corbett

Sandra Corbett is a consultant psychiatrist and zone clinical department head at the Department of Psychiatry, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, and Alberta Health Services North Zone, Fort McMurray, Canada.