Pituitary-Adrenal and Autonomic Responses to Stress in Women After Sexual and Physical Abuse in Childhood

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Abstract
The relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of psychiatric disorders has long been a hotly debated area of investigation. Considerable evidence from a variety of studies suggests a preeminent role of early adverse experiences in the development of mood and anxiety disorders. One study1 composed of almost 2000 women revealed that those with a history of childhood sexual or physical abuse exhibited more symptoms of depression and anxiety and had more frequently attempted suicide than women without a history of childhood abuse. Women who have been abused in childhood are 4 times more likely to develop syndromal major depression in adulthood than women who have not been abused, and the magnitude of the abuse is correlated with the severity of depression.2

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