Some studies (Stein et al, 1996) suggest a statistical link for women between childhood sexual abuse and later development of anxiety disorders like:
See also Ernst et al. 1993
But following Tobin & Griffing 1996, for patients with eating disorders it seems to be even a counter-indication: sexual abuse was "highest in patients who engaged in compensatory behaviors but did not binge or meet criteria for anorexia".
Kumar et.al. 1996 have not found any difference between sexually and nonsexually abused adolescents.
Walling et al. 1994 considered depression, anxiety and somatization and found that "childhood sexual abuse was not significant in the prediction of any of the outcome variables, whereas childhood physical abuse was significant in the prediction of all three. Further, ... the individual variable of adulthood sexual abuse was predictive of anxiety."
Young et.al. 1997 mentions "emotional abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse (childhood adversity)" as risc factors.
Mancini et.al. 1995 in a study of adult outpatients in an anxiety disorder clinic found that "childhood sexual abuse was reported by 23.4% and childhood physical abuse by 44.9%. Patients with a history of childhood sexual or physical abuse had significantly higher Beck depression scores and concurrent major depression, as well as more significant impairment in social functioning. They also demonstrated significantly higher state and trait anxiety scores."
Moisan & Engels 1995 found that "among 43 women with panic disorder (38 with agoraphobia), 23 reported histories of childhood sexual abuse associated with high incidence of other early adverse experiences".
Stein et.al. 1996 have found: "Childhood physical abuse was higher among both men (15.5%) and women (33.3%) with anxiety disorders than among comparison subjects (8.1%). Childhood sexual abuse was higher among women with anxiety disorders (45.1%) than among comparison women (15.4%) and was higher among women with panic disorder (60.0%) than among women with other anxiety disorders (30.8%)."
Nurnberg & Raskin 1997 found "significant intercorrelations between permanent separation, physical and emotional abuse, childhood anxiety, and adult panic disorder", but no with sexual abuse.
Yama et al. 1992 considered effects of parental alcoholism and childhood sexual abuse and found that family environment was a mediator of current symptoms of anxiety, but not symptoms of depression.
Ferguson & Dacey 1997 have found an association of psychological abuse with anxiety.