Does body image differ by type of abuse?
Martin Sack, MD and co-workers in Munich, Germany, recently reported the results of their study examining the effects of sexual and nonsexual trauma upon a group of outpatients at the Hanover Medical School in Munich. The goal of the study was to see if there were differences in body image disorders depending on the type of abuse. Several questionnaires were mailed to all participants, to be completed prior to the first appointment. Diagnoses were confirmed by clinical interviews according to ICD-10 criteria, and all interviews were performed by board-certified specialists in psychosomatic medicine or by psychiatrists. Patients completed the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, a self-report of symptoms related to posttraumatic stress disorder. The Body Image Questionnaire was developed for the participants’ cognitive and affective self-assessment of their bodies. This questionnaire is commonly used to evaluate body image in German-speaking countries and consists of 20 items, assessed on a
