This cross-sectional study involved 313 medical students from the University of Khartoum. The [articipants completed a self-administered questionnaire that included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Approximately 40% of students reported childhood trauma, with sexual abuse (23.3%) and emotional neglect (19.2%) being the most common. Female students reported higher levels of psychological distress (p = 0.049). Students who experienced abuse or sexual assault had significantly higher distress levels (p = 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). Emotional abuse showed the strongest correlation with psychological distress (r = 0.405), followed by emotional neglect (r = 0.232). Regression analysis revealed that past abuse, sexual assault, and emotional abuse were significant predictors of distress, with emotional abuse having the most substantial impact both before (p < 0.001) and after matching (p-value = 0.005).
Childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect is highly prevalent in Sudanese medical students
