Twenty-six women who had been in physically violent relationships were assessed for PTSD using self-report measures and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). According to the results, 45 percent of the sample met full DSM-III-R criteria for PTSD; exposure to violence was significantly correlated with PTSD symptomology. The sample was divided into high exposure and low exposure groups, based on their degree of life threat. Sixty percent of those in the high exposure group met the criteria for diagnosable PTSD, while only 14 percent in the low exposure group met the same criteria. Future research should involve larger sample sizes and control groups of nonbattered women. The high prevalence of PTSD symptoms in battered women should also be studied in the context of the continuing contact these women often have with their abusers. 1 table and 15 notes (Author abstract modified)