TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2003//
TI  - A cry from the darkness: women with severe mental illness in India reveal their experiences with sexual coercion
JO  - Psychiatry interpersonal and biological processes
A1  - Chandra, Prabha S.
A1  - Deepthivarma, S.
A1  - Carey, Michael P.
A1  - Carey, Kate B.
A1  - Shalinianant, M. P.
SP  - 323
EP  - 334
VL  - 66
IS  - 4
N2  - THIS STUDY used qualitative research methods to investigate the problem of sexual coercion among female psychiatric patients in India. Consecutive female admissions (n = 146) to the inpatient unit of a psychiatric hospital in southern India were screened regarding coercive sexual experiences. Women who reported coercion (n = 50; 34%) participated in a semi-structured interview to learn more about their experiences. Among these women, 24 (48%) reported that the perpetrator was their spouse, 13 (26%) identified a friend or acquaintance, and 10 (20%) identified a relative such as an uncle or cousin. Most experiences occurred in the women's homes. Thirty of the 50 coerced women (60%) reported that they had not disclosed their experience to anyone, and that they had not sought help. Women revealed a sense of helplessness, fear, and secrecy related to their experiences. The problem of sexual coercion is seldom addressed in mental health care in India; the prevalence and severity of such experiences warrant immediate clinical attention and continued research.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0033-2747
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -