Sexual Assault History and Health-Related Outcomes in a National Sample of Women

This study examined correlates of past-year chronic medical conditions and lifetime contact with health care professionals for mental health and substance abuse problems in women with differing histories of sexual victimization (N = 627) identified from the National Comorbidity Survey (e.g., assault in childhood, adulthood, or both life phases). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and stressful life events were associated with greater odds of chronic medical conditions among women sexually assaulted in childhood only. Additional traumatic events were associated with greater odds of chronic medical conditions among victims of adult sexual assault. Older age and being married were associated with greater odds of lifetime health care professional contact for mental health/substance abuse issues among certain victim subgroups. Stressful life events were related to greater help-seeking for child victims, and traumatic events were related to greater help-seeking in adult victims. Alcohol dependence symptoms and PTSD were each associated with greater odds of lifetime health care professional contact among women victimized in both life phases, whereas depression was related to greater odds of help-seeking for women victimized in one life phase only. Psychosocial factors may play unique roles in health outcomes for women with different sexual assault histories.

[1]  D. Mechanic.  Social psychologic factors affecting the presentation of bodily complaints. , 1972, The New England journal of medicine.

[2]  L. George,et al.  Psychiatric diagnoses of medical service users: evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. , 1987, American journal of public health.

[3]  A. Farmer,et al.  The Composite International Diagnostic Interview. An epidemiologic Instrument suitable for use in conjunction with different diagnostic systems and in different cultures. , 1988, Archives of general psychiatry.

[4]  S. Sorenson,et al.  Sexual assault history and use of health and mental health services , 1988, American journal of community psychology.

[5]  M. Koss,et al.  Stranger and Acquaintance Rape: Are There Differences In the Victim's Experience? , 1988 .

[6]  F H Norris,et al.  Use of mental health services among victims of crime: frequency, correlates, and subsequent recovery. , 1990, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[7]  M. Koss,et al.  Deleterious effects of criminal victimization on women's health and medical utilization. , 1991, Archives of internal medicine.

[8]  E. Perez-stable,et al.  Somatization, psychiatric disorder, and stress in utilization of ambulatory medical services. , 1991, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[9]  D Finkelhor,et al.  Impact of sexual abuse on children: a review and synthesis of recent empirical studies. , 1993, Psychological bulletin.

[10]  F. Putnam,et al.  Impact of Child Sexual Abuse on Females: Toward a Developmental, Psychobiological Integration , 1993 .

[11]  A. Laws.  Does a History of Sexual Abuse in Childhood Play a Role in Women's Medical Problems? A Review , 1993 .

[12]  M. Koss.  Detecting the Scope of Rape , 1993 .

[13]  R. Kessler.  Building on the ECA: The National Comorbidity Survey and the Children's ECA. , 1994 .

[14]  L. Williams,et al.  Recall of childhood trauma: a prospective study of women's memories of child sexual abuse. , 1994, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[15]  R. Kessler,et al.  Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. , 1994, Archives of general psychiatry.

[16]  R. Kimerling,et al.  Somatic symptoms, social support, and treatment seeking among sexual assault victims. , 1994, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[17]  J. Siegel,et al.  Sexual assault, social reactions, and physical health. , 1995, Women's health.

[18]  R. Kessler,et al.  Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. , 1995, Archives of general psychiatry.

[19]  R M Groves,et al.  Advances in strategies for minimizing and adjusting for survey nonresponse. , 1995, Epidemiologic reviews.

[20]  J. Siegel,et al.  Traumatic events and physical health in a community sample , 1996, Journal of traumatic stress.

[21]  Melissa A. Polusny,et al.  Cumulative trauma: The impact of child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, and spouse abuse , 1996, Journal of traumatic stress.

[22]  R. Kessler,et al.  Assessment of weighting methodology for the National Comorbidity Survey. , 1997, American journal of epidemiology.

[23]  E. Bass,et al.  Clinical Characteristics of Women With a History of Childhood Abuse: Unhealed Wounds , 1997 .

[24]  R. Acierno,et al.  Health impact of interpersonal violence. 2: Medical and mental health outcomes. , 1997, Behavioral medicine.

[25]  W. Katon,et al.  Adult health status of women with histories of childhood abuse and neglect. , 1999, The American journal of medicine.

[26]  C. B. Taylor,et al.  Childhood sexual abuse, psychological distress, and medical use among women. , 1999, Psychosomatic medicine.

[27]  W. Katon,et al.  Costs of health care use by women HMO members with a history of childhood abuse and neglect. , 1999, Archives of general psychiatry.

[28]  C. Schoen.  Health Concerns Across a Woman's Lifespan: The Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women's Health , 1999 .

[29]  R. Kessler,et al.  Previous exposure to trauma and PTSD effects of subsequent trauma: results from the Detroit Area Survey of Trauma. , 1999, The American journal of psychiatry.

[30]  J. Golding.  Sexual-Assault History and Long-Term Physical Health Problems , 1999 .

[31]  B. Green,et al.  Outcomes of Single Versus Multiple Trauma Exposure in a Screening Sample , 2000, Journal of traumatic stress.

[32]  B. Arnow,et al.  The relationship of childhood sexual abuse and depression with somatic symptoms and medical utilization , 2000, Psychological Medicine.

[33]  R. Bolen,et al.  The Epidemic of Rape and Child Sexual Abuse in the United States , 2000 .

[34]  A. Coker,et al.  Help-seeking for intimate partner violence and forced sex in South Carolina. , 2000, American journal of preventive medicine.

[35]  R. Kimerling,et al.  Associations among symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder and self-reported health in sexually assaulted women. , 2000, The Journal of nervous and mental disease.

[36]  G. Clum,et al.  Predictors of post-rape medical care in a national sample of women. , 2000, American journal of preventive medicine.

[37]  H. Hartmann,et al.  The influence of income, education, and work status on women's well being. , 2001, Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.

[38]  R. Wyn,et al.  Women's health issues across the lifespan. , 2001, Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.

[39]  S. Plichta,et al.  Prevalence of violence and its implications for women's health. , 2001, Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.

[40]  Beth E. Molnar,et al.  Child sexual abuse and subsequent psychopathology: results from the National Comorbidity Survey. , 2001, American journal of public health.

[41]  H. Resnick,et al.  Predictors of Medical Examinations Following Child and Adolescent Rapes in a National Sample of Women , 2001, Child maltreatment.

[42]  S. Ullman,et al.  Sexual assault history, PTSD, and mental health service seeking in a national sample of women , 2002 .