Citation

Gilmore AK, Flanagan JC. Arch. Women Ment. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00737-019-0947-1

PMID

30762148

Abstract

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) are common in the USA, and they often co-occur. Individuals with multiple victimization experiences have more severe mental health outcomes compared to those with one victimization. The current study examined mental health symptoms and their association with IPV victimization history among a sample of individuals who experienced a recent sexual assault and received a sexual assault medical forensic examination. A total of 82 participants (92.70% female) completed a post-sexual assault survey as part of clinical care to coordinate follow-up services. IPV history and prior sexual assault were assessed as well as mental health symptoms including acute stress and depressive symptoms. It was found that individuals with an IPV history reported more acute stress and depressive symptoms compared to those without an IPV history. No differences were found based on prior sexual assault history. These findings highlight the importance of screening for IPV history during the sexual assault medical forensic examination to coordinate care.

Language: en

Keywords

Depression; Emergency department; Intimate partner violence; Posttraumatic stress; Sexual assault