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Sexual assault increases risk for poor mental health, suicide
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Sexual assault was associated with increased risk for poorer mental health, particularly for PTSD and suicidality.
“We compared people who had been sexually assaulted with those who hadn't and found a significant difference in mental health,” Emily R. Dworkin, PhD, of the University of Washington, Seattle, said in a press release. “We also compared people who had been sexually assaulted with people who had experienced other forms of trauma and found that the difference was still there, suggesting that sexual assault is associated with significantly increased risk for these mental health conditions as compared with other types of trauma.”
To evaluate risk for psychological dysfunction associated with sexual assault, researchers conducted a review and meta-analysis of literature published from 1970 to 2014. Analysis included 497 effect sizes.
Individuals who experienced sexual assault reported significantly poorer psychopathology, compared with peers who were not assaulted.
Sexual assault was associated with increased risk for all assessed forms of psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, disordered eating, mania, phobia, PTSD, substance abuse and suicide.
Researchers found stronger associations between sexual assault, PTSD and suicidality.
These effects remained among differing sample demographics.
Broader sexual assault experiences, including incapacitated, coerced or nonpenetrative sexual assault, were not associated with differences in effects; however, attempted sexual assault was associated with lower effects.
Individuals with more assaults involving stranger perpetrators, weapons, or physical injury exhibited larger effects.
“Just because you’ve had this experience doesn’t mean you will have a negative mental health effect,” Nicole E. Allen, PhD, of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, said in the release. “But if you do, our findings demonstrate that you are most definitely not alone. These are not uncommon responses to sexual assault.”– by Amanda Oldt
Disclosure: Please see the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.