Citation

Amstadter AB, Zinzow HM, McCauley JL, Strachan M, Ruggiero KJ, Resnick HS, Kilpatrick DG. J. Anxiety Disord. 2010; 24(8): 900-902.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.06.014

PMID

20620018

Abstract

This study examines prevalence and correlates of help seeking for emotional problems among undergraduate female rape victims. A national college sample of women endorsing a lifetime history of rape (N=228) were interviewed in 2006 to assess demographic characteristics, rape history, rape characteristics, psychopathology, and substance abuse. Participants were asked if they ever sought help for emotional problems, and what type(s) of services were sought (medical professional, religious figure, or mental health professional). Prevalence of help seeking was 52%. Of help-seekers, 93% went to a mental health professional, 48% went to a medical doctor, and 14% sought religious counsel. Only PTSD was related to ever seeking help (OR=2.35). Findings suggest that university-based mental health and medical facilities should be well prepared to identify and treat PTSD and other rape-related sequelae. Health promotion campaigns are needed to target substance abusing and depressed rape victims, who were less likely to seek help.

Language: en