Skills training plus exposure therapy may reduce post traumatic stress in women who experienced childhood abuse.

Participants Participants were 58 women with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) linked to physical or sexual abuse when they were under 18 years old (based on DSM-IV criteria). All were self referred via advertisements or word of mouth.Mean age 34 years; 46% Caucasian; 20% African American; 15% Hispanic; 19% other ethnic groups. 48% had experienced both sexual and physical abuse, 39% had experienced sexual abuse only and 13% had experienced physical abuse only. Exclusion criteria were age under 18 or over 65 years; organic or psychotic mental disorders; substance dependence; eating disorder; dissociative disorder; bipolar I disorder; borderline personality disorder, or suicide attempt or psychiatric hospitalisation within 3 months.