Psychiatric Services 49 1998 : 355-359

This study examined the prevalence of childhood sexual and physical abuse for psychiatric inpatients. It analysed the reporting rates of abuse among inpatients depending on whether or not they were asked bout being abused as a child on admission. One hundred medical records were analysed from the acute psychiatric inpatient unit of a New Zealand urban general hospital. The medical records included people experiencing various psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. A comparison was made between records using the old admission form and records where the new form, which includes a section on abuse history, was completed on admission. Findings suggest that the inclusion of an abuse section on admission forms bears no significant impact on client disclosure rates. This report also suggests that findings underestimate the prevalence of abuse. The authors propose that this information is highly important for the purposes of clinical management.