scholarly journals Victimization and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Runaway and Homeless Adolescents

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 721-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les B. Whitbeck ◽  
Dan R. Hoyt ◽  
Kurt D. Johnson ◽  
Xiaojin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Diagnostic Study ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Homeless Adolescents ◽  
Assault Victims

This article presents lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates and comorbidity for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among a sample of 428 homeless and runaway adolescents. Data are from baseline interviews of a longitudinal diagnostic study of 428 (187 males; 241 females) homeless and runaway adolescents aged 16–19 years (mean age = 17.4 years, SD = 1.05). The data were collected by full-time street interviewers on the streets and in shelters in eight Midwestern cities of various populations. About one-third (35.5%) of the runaways met lifetime criteria for PTSD and 16.1% met 12-month criteria for the disorder. More than 90% of the adolescents who met criteria for PTSD met criteria for at least one of the other four diagnoses. Multivariate analyses indicated that correlates of PTSD were age of adolescent, being female, having experienced serious physical abuse and/or sexual abuse from an adult caretaker, and having been assaulted or injured by weapon when on the street. The multiplicative interaction between sexual abuse by caretaker and sexual assault when the adolescents were on their own was statistically significant, indicating that rape victims were highly likely to meet criteria for PTSD regardless of early sexual abuse. At very high levels of early sexual abuse, the probability of meeting criteria for PTSD converges with that for sexual assault victims.

Animal-Assisted Prolonged Exposure: A Treatment for Survivors of Sexual Assault Suffering Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Bleiberg ◽  
Maurice Prout ◽  
Dennis Debiak ◽  
Carin Lefkowitz ◽  
Indira Paharia
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Traumatic Memories

AbstractThis paper proposes the development of a new model of treatment for survivors of sexual abuse suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Foa, Rothbaum, Riggs, and Murdock (1991) and Foa, Rothbaum, and Furr (2003) support Prolonged Exposure (PE) as a highly effective treatment for PTSD. However, PE can be intimidating to survivors, contributing to hesitancy to participate in the treatment. This paper posits that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) will decrease anxiety, lower physiological arousal, enhance the therapeutic alliance, and promote social lubrication. The paper also posits that AAT will enhance the value of PE by making it more accessible to survivors, increasing social interaction, and perhaps decreasing the number of sessions required for habituation to the traumatic memories.

Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology Among Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Assault in Canada

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986008
Author(s):  
Janice Du Mont ◽  
Holly Johnson ◽  
Cassandra Hill
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
General Social Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Sexually Assaulted

There is a dearth of information about the association of victim-related and assailant-related characteristics and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among sexually assaulted women. Recently, Statistics Canada included items measuring the possible presence of PTSD symptoms in their 2014 nationally representative General Social Survey on Victimization (GSS-V), for the purpose of improving the understanding of mental health impacts associated with sexual victimization. The present study used the GSS-V to examine the association of sociodemographic, health, and assailant characteristics and prior traumatic experiences in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, physical assault, stalking, childhood abuse, and witnessing of violence between parents with PTSD symptomology among sexually assaulted women. Among 319 women who reported experiencing at least one incident of sexual assault in the 12 months prior to the survey, 68.6% had experienced at least one negative emotional impact as a result, among whom, 43.6% reported past-month PTSD symptoms. Logistic regression modeling revealed that prior traumatic events in the form of physical or sexual dating violence, stalking, and having witnessed violence between parents were associated with higher odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms, as was having been sexually assaulted by a known assailant. In contrast, the odds of experiencing PTSD symptoms was lower for Aboriginal or visible minority women. The results suggest that PTSD symptoms in the near aftermath of sexual victimization are common, and there are a range of factors that contribute to the likelihood of developing these symptoms. Implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals A Preliminary Experimental Examination of the Effect of Emotion Dysregulation and Impulsivity on Risky Behaviors Among Women With Sexual Assault–Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 914-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole H. Weiss ◽  
Matthew T. Tull ◽  
Kim L. Gratz
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
To Receive

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a wide range of risky behaviors (e.g., substance use and risky sexual behaviors); however, few studies have examined mechanisms that may underlie risky behaviors in this population. The present study utilized a prospective experimental design to examine the effects of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity on risky behaviors across time. Thirty women with sexual assault–related PTSD were randomly assigned to receive emotion modulation (EM), impulsivity reduction (IR), or healthy living (HL; comparison condition) skills trainings. Participants completed measures of emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and risky behaviors pre-manipulation and 1-month post-manipulation. Participants in the EM and IR conditions reported a significant reduction in risky behaviors from pre- to post-manipulation relative to the HL condition. Changes in emotion dysregulation from pre- to post-manipulation fully accounted for reductions in risky behaviors over time. Results provide preliminary experimental support for the role of emotion dysregulation in risky behaviors.

scholarly journals Does deployment-related military sexual assault interact with combat exposure to predict posttraumatic stress disorder in female veterans?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Georgina M. Gross ◽  
Katherine C. Cunningham ◽  
Daniel A. Moore ◽  
Jennifer C. Naylor ◽  
Mira Brancu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Military Sexual Assault

scholarly journals Biomarkers in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Overview and Implications for Future Research

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Schmidt ◽  
Sebastian F. Kaltwasser ◽  
Carsten T. Wotjak
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Current State ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
State Of Research

PTSD can develop in the aftermath of traumatic incidents like combat, sexual abuse, or life threatening accidents. Unfortunately, there are still no biomarkers for this debilitating anxiety disorder in clinical use. Anyhow, there are numerous studies describing potential PTSD biomarkers, some of which might progress to the point of practical use in the future. Here, we outline and comment on some of the most prominent findings on potential imaging, psychological, endocrine, and molecular PTSD biomarkers and classify them into risk, disease, and therapy markers. Since for most of these potential PTSD markers a causal role in PTSD has been demonstrated or at least postulated, this review also gives an overview on the current state of research on PTSD pathobiology.

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