‘They came with two guns’: the consequences of sexual violence for the mental health of women in armed conflicts

2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (877) ◽  
pp. 177-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne Josse
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Deleterious Effect ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Community Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Social Circle

AbstractSexual violence has serious and multiple consequences for the mental health of women. At the psychological level, it leads to radical changes in the image that the victim has of herself, in her relations with her immediate social circle and beyond, in the community as a whole, and in the way in which the victim sees the past, present, and future. It thus has a lasting negative impact on the victim's perception of herself, of events, and of others. At the community level, it stigmatizes the victim, depriving her of any social status or intrinsic value as a person (she is seen as unfaithful or promiscuous), and thereby modifies relationships within the community with an overall deleterious effect. This article discusses these consequences of sexual violence for the mental health of women, especially those who are its victims during armed conflicts.

scholarly journals Trauma and Migration

2021 ◽  
pp. 29-65
Author(s):  
Gail Theisen-Womersley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
And Migration ◽  
General Populations ◽  
Forms Of Violence

AbstractOver the past two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the question of trauma among refugee populations. This body of research has largely focused on the immediate psychological aftermaths of armed conflicts in light of the well-described associations between these psychiatric disorders, displacement, and generalized forms of violence (Morina et al., Morina et al., .Frontiers in Psychiatry 9:433, 2018). In general, the literature attests to the greater mental health difficulties among refugees compared to general populations within host communities.

Gender and Time Differences in the Associations Between Sexual Violence Victimization, Health Outcomes, and Risk Behaviors

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekta Choudhary ◽  
Jeffrey H. Coben ◽  
Robert M. Bossarte
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Activity Limitations ◽  
The Past ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

An estimated 1 out of 6 women and 1 out of 33 men has been a victim of sexual assault at some point in their lifetime. The objective of this study was to quantify the associations between sexual assault and negative health outcomes among males and females who reported being sexually assaulted in the past 12 months or at some point before the past 12 months. Data were obtained from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System core and sexual violence modules. A series of logistic regression models, including all respondents and stratified by gender, was used to identify differences associated with victimization. Among women, victimization before the past 12 months was significantly associated with poor health status, poor mental health, lower life satisfaction, activity limitations, smoking, and binge drinking. Women who reported victimization in the past 12 months were also significantly more likely to report poor mental health, lower life satisfaction, activity limitations, and binge drinking. Among males, significant associations were found with smoking (past 12 months), poor life satisfaction (before the past 12 months) and activity limitations (before the past 12 months). Results of this study suggest that poor mental and physical health associated with victimization are more prevalent in women and that these relationships persist over time. The broad range of outcomes associated with victimization suggests that further research is needed to better understand the consequences associated with sexual violence across the lifespan.

scholarly journals Barriers and facilitators to physical and mental health help-seeking among Congolese male refugee survivors of conflict-related sexual violence living in Kampala

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-173
Author(s):  
Peninah Kansiime ◽  
Claire Van der Westhuizen ◽  
Ashraf Kagee
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Barriers

In Uganda, over 1.3 million refugees have fled armed conflicts from neighbouring countries, with about 251 730 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone. In this article we report on a qualitative research study on the help-seeking behaviour of Congolese male refugee survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) living in Kampala, Uganda. We recruited 10 Congolese male survivors of war-related rape and 6 Ugandan service providers (psychologists, social workers and physicians) who participated in individual interviews focused on barriers and facilitators to care seeking in Kampala, Uganda. We found that the major barriers to help-seeking were socio-cultural and political factors, health system and infrastructural barriers, poverty and livelihood barriers, physical effects of CRSV, fear of marital disharmony and breakup, and self-sufficiency The major facilitators were social support, symptom severity, professionalism among service providers, availability of free tailored services and information, education and communication. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach is important to address these barriers. In addition, we suggest that the Ugandan government should develop legislation and health policies to create protection for men who have experienced sexual violence.Keywords: armed conflict; conflict-related sexual violence; male refugee survivors; help-seeking; physical and mental health; barriers; and facilitators

Sexual violence, health and humanitarian ethics: Towards a holistic, person-centred approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 96 (894) ◽  
pp. 565-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bouvier
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Mass Violence ◽  
Humanitarian Ethics ◽  
Ethical Response

AbstractSexual violence and rape in armed conflicts are widespread phenomena, with devastating consequences. Over the last thirty years, our understanding of these phenomena has significantly improved. Today humanitarian and health professionals understand better the reality, scale and impact of sexual violence on the personal, physical, social and mental health of individuals and communities. Rape is recognized to have a dehumanizing effect, as much as torture or mass violence. Major efforts are put into providing an effective and ethical response, with respect and sympathy to the survivors. Health and humanitarian assistance contribute to the healing and resilience of survivors and communities. Looking forward, programmes must be centred on the person, promoting their autonomy and dignity, and integrating medical, psychosocial and socio-economical responses.

scholarly journals A longitudinal study of the relations between university students’ subjective social status, social contact with university friends, and mental health and well-being.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Rubin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Social Status ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health And Well Being

Prior research has found that the higher one’s perceived status in society, the better one’s mental health and well-being. The present research used a longitudinal design to investigate whether social contact with friends mediated this relation between subjective social status and mental health and well-being among first-year undergraduate students at an Australian university (Wave 1 N = 749, Wave 2 N = 314). Participants completed an online survey that included measures of subjective social status, social contact with university friends during the past week, and mental health and well-being during the past week. Multiple regression analyses found that subjective social status positively predicted amount of social contact with university friends, and that both of these variables positively predicted subsequent mental health and well-being. Furthermore, bootstrapped mediation tests found that social contact with university friends acted as a significant mediator of the relations between social status and mental health and well-being. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the mental health and well-being of lower class students at university.

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