Mental health help-seeking after a sexual assault: A dyadic study of sexual assault survivors and informal support providers.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin O'Callaghan ◽  
Sarah E. Ullman ◽  
Veronica Shepp ◽  
Casey Harris
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Informal Support ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Assault Survivors

scholarly journals Sexual Assault Survivors Who Exchange Sex: Identity, Stigma, and Informal Responses From Support Providers

Affilia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-128
Author(s):  
Veronica Shepp ◽  
Erin O’Callaghan ◽  
Anne Kirkner ◽  
Katherine Lorenz ◽  
Sarah Ullman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Sex Worker ◽  
Exchange Sex ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivor ◽  
Assault Survivors

It is well established in the literature that individuals who engage in sex work are more likely to experience sexual trauma/violence, but little research has examined experiences of sexual assault survivors who exchange sex from the survivor’s perspective. Sexual assault survivors and their informal support providers (SPs; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) were interviewed separately about disclosure, social reactions, and help-seeking following assault. Sixteen survivors mentioned experiences exchanging sex, which comprise the sample for the current study as well as comments from twelve SPs. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes including violence experienced engaging in sex work, navigating stigma and the identity of both sexual assault survivor and sex worker, and how survivors’ social supports impact their recovery. Survivors endorsed their sex worker identities at varying levels, and others used their identity as a sexual assault survivor to explain why they engaged in sex work. Social work implications regarding service provision and advocacy work are discussed.

Psychotherapy with Sexual Assault Survivors

2021 ◽  
pp. 43-52
Author(s):  
Amie R. Newins ◽  
Laura C. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Assault Survivors

Sexual assault is associated with an increased risk of a wide range of mental health problems; therefore, treatment should be targeted to address the client’s primary presenting concerns. In this chapter, specific recommendations are provided for using psychotherapy to treat survivors of sexual assault. In particular, suggestions are given for using exposure-based treatments and cognitive-based treatments with these clients. These recommendations focus on how to increase disclosure of details of the assault and to address negative reactions that clients may have received from other disclosure recipients. Furthermore, suggestions are offered related to the terminology and language used during these discussions in treatment.

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Men Sexual Assault Survivors

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba W. Masho ◽  
Anika Alvanzo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Physical Injury ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
History Of ◽  
Assault Survivors

Men sexual assault is a serious public health issue that is mostly underreported and unrecognized. Despite serious deleterious effects of sexual assault, most men victims do not seek professional help. This study was conducted to examine predictors of help-seeking practices among 91 men sexual assault survivors from a population-based survey. The study showed only 17.6% of the victims sought professional help. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that physical injury (OR = 6.58, 95% CI = 1.08-40.19), perpetration by family or friend (OR = 6.42, 95% CI = 1.47-28.04), history of rape before the age of 18 (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.11-1.69), and threat at the time of incident (OR = 7.08, 95% CI = 1.52-33.03) were significant predictors of help-seeking practices. This study confirms that the majority of men sexual assault victims do not seek professional help. Victims with physical injury or threat were more likely to seek help. Further study should investigate barriers for help-seeking practices. Efforts should be made to reach men with a history of sexual assault.

scholarly journals Predicting the Effects of Sexual Assault Research Participation: Reactions, Perceived Insight, and Help-Seeking

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (17) ◽  
pp. 3592-3613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Kirkner ◽  
Mark Relyea ◽  
Sarah E. Ullman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Survey Participation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Assault Survivors

This study examined effects of participating in survey research for women sexual assault survivors with other trauma histories to understand the role of study participation on perceived insight and long-term help-seeking behaviors. A diverse sample of 1,863 women from a large Midwestern city participated in a 3-year study on women’s experiences with sexual assault. Regression analyses were conducted to (a) examine predictors of immediate positive and negative reactions to survey participation and (b) assess the impact of the survey on perceived insight and women’s long-term help-seeking behavior. Overall, most women in the study had a higher positive than negative reaction to the survey (92%), with a significant proportion indicating they sought additional services as a result of participation (55%). Women with child sexual abuse (CSA), more emotion dysregulation, and more characterological self-blame had more negative reactions to the survey, whereas those with more education and individual adaptive coping had more positive reactions. Women who said they gained insight from answering survey questions were most likely to seek additional help. This study extends the literature by examining cumulative trauma and postassault symptoms in relation to the effects of survey participation. This is also the first study of women sexual assault survivors to find a relationship between gaining perceived insight from research and subsequent help-seeking. Participating in sexual assault research may help survivors gain greater insight into their recovery, which can lead them to seek out more resources for their ongoing trauma-related problems.

scholarly journals Talking to Others About Sexual Assault: A Narrative Analysis of Survivors’ Journeys

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986165
Author(s):  
Bonnie Yuen ◽  
Jo Billings ◽  
Nicola Morant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Cross Case Analysis ◽  
Assault Survivors

Previous research suggested the benefits for sexual assault survivors to talk about their trauma and its mental health implications, but it remained unclear what steps sexual assault survivors need to take to be able to have these conversations. To address this gap in the literature, this study aims to explore the journeys of sexual assault survivors with the use of narrative interviews to retain the richness of the data. This study reports the findings of a narrative analysis of the accounts of six female sexual assault survivors aged between 20 and 38. The analysis provides an individual case profile for each participant, the core aspects and tone of each narrative, and a cross-case analysis. The cross-case analysis reveals an overarching theme of “the bumpy journey” within which the individual difficulties encountered are examined. The analysis also reveals the two main factors that motivated the participant to strive to make a difference for other sexual violence survivors and to improve their mental health through talking about their experiences. The implications for services providing continuous and long-term support to sexual assault survivors and clinical practices are discussed.

Sexual Assault Survivors’ Perceived Helpfulness of University-Affiliated Resources

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122095217
Author(s):  
Amy C. Graham ◽  
R. Kevin Mallinson ◽  
Jenna R. Krall ◽  
Sandra L. Annan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Peer Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Perceived Helpfulness ◽  
Assault Survivors

The goal of this study was to examine sexual assault survivors’ use and perceived helpfulness of university-affiliated resources. Data were collected in online anonymous surveys from women ( n = 98) at two universities who experienced a sexual assault during college and used university resources. Participants who perceived university-affiliated survivor resources as helpful had significantly better mental health outcomes than women who perceived resources as unhelpful. The most often used resources were mental health counseling (60.6%) and university health centers (24%). The most helpful resources were survivor advocates, peer counseling, and peer support groups.

Mediators of Posttraumatic Mental Health in Sexual Assault Survivors

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana Stermac ◽  
Christine M. Cabral ◽  
Allyson K. Clarke ◽  
Brenda Toner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Assault Survivors
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document