What is the correlation between mental illness and sexual abuse?

nightmoves: What is the correlation between mental illness and sexual abuse?
When I was admitted in to the hospital for manic and psychotic break a year ago one of the first things they asked me was whether or not I had been sexual abused. When I told them I had not (to my recollection) they told me I was “lucky”.

Did she say this because people with mental illness are more susceptible to sexual abuse? Or is it because the result of sexual abuse can be mental illness? What is the correlation?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Keeper of the Night(=
The result of sexual abuse can be mental illness. She said you were lucky because it’s supposed to really traumatize you.

Answer by average jane
I don’t have any text-book statistics, but have worked directly w/both populations. In my experience, adults w/mental illness (depression, schizophrenia, etc) were not necessarily abused any more than my non-disabled clients. Also, the adults who WERE sexually abused were not (in most cases)l mentally ill. However, cruel and unusual treatment in childhood can lead to difficulties later in life…then there is the therory that mental illness is organic; you either have it or you don’t and that true mental illness isn’t created, but genetic.The brain of a person w/schitzophrenia is actually different than one w/out. But sure, common sense says that a child/adult who has a deficient mental capacity may be taken advantage of more often, and not limited to sexually. But I disagree w/them saying it in those terms…this is not helpful and really quite demeaning if you ask me. In their defense, it is always helpful (and expected) to collect a complete history. You sound smart and realistic about your situation and it is wise to seek help when needed.

Answer by juano19
Sexual abuse is a type of trauma that can lie dormant and surface later with emotional distress that brings them to the service provider. Sexual abuse is a common enough source of trauma that it is one of the questions about that are what you would hope would be asked right from the beginning. Treatment for mental illness will not be effective if it is not tailored correctly to the cause. The interview is mostly done to decide on what treatment to use. Mental illness can make someone a target of sexual abuse because the predator might feel that they can more easily get away with it. Any person who has been sexually abused has to carry that burden. A person who is mentally ill may not have the capacity to handle that burden, and then end up much worse off than someone who is mentally healthy.

Answer by moochy
Both I imagine. People who are abused usually go through depression, might be suicidal, many things could transpire…everyone deals with it differently. Then there are people who are mentally ill to begin with and to a perpetrator that makes for easier prey. Its too bad the abusers aren’t in the hospital they are the ones with serious mental illness.