Objective: Although mental health impact of gender based violence has been documented for many decades, the impact of the socio-cultural dimensions and type of perpetrator on mental health outcomes has not been described outside of developed countries. We explore depression symptomatology four to six weeks post-rape in South Africa and examine whether this differs according to the circumstances of the rape. Method: 140 participants recruited from public hospital services in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces were interviewed within two weeks after completing the post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and sexual assault characteristics including perpetrator. Depressive symptomatology was measured using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results: 84.3% (95% CI: 78.1-90.3) women were found to have high levels of depressive symptoms, but lower levels were found among women raped in circumstances in which there was a lesser likelihood of blame such as those raped by strangers rather than intimate partners (Odds Ratio: (OR) 0.28 (95% Confidence Intervals (CD: 0.11-0.69) and higher levels were associated with experiencing four or more side effects related to PEP medication (OR: 3.79: CI: 1.03-13.94). Receiving support and severe sexual assaults (involving weapons and multiple perpetrators) were not associated with depression. Conclusion: The study does not support the general assumption that more violent rape causes more psychological harm. These results have important implications for individual treatment because it is more generally assumed that multiple perpetrator rapes, stranger rapes and those with weapons would result in more psychological trauma and thus more enduring symptoms. Our findings point to the importance of understanding the socio-cultural dimensions, including dynamics of blame and stigma, of rape on mental health sequelae.
机构:
Auburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Cent Arkansas Vet Hlth Care Syst, Little Rock, AR USAAuburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Domino, Jessica L.
Whiteman, Sarah E.
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Auburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USAAuburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Whiteman, Sarah E.
Weathers, Frank W.
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Auburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USAAuburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Weathers, Frank W.
Blevins, Christy T.
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Auburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USAAuburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Blevins, Christy T.
Davis, Margaret T.
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Auburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
Yale Dept Psychiat, New Haven, CT USAAuburn Univ, Dept Psychol, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn, AL 36849 USA
机构:
Charles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Port Macquarie, NSW, AustraliaCharles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Glynn, Sophie Anne
Mclaren, Suzanne
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Charles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Charles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Locked Bag 7000, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, AustraliaCharles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Mclaren, Suzanne
Goldie, Peter D.
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Montclair State Univ, Dept Psychol, Montclair, NJ USACharles Sturt Univ, Sch Psychol, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
机构:Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Leifheit-Limson, Erica C.
Reid, Kimberly J.
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St Lukes Mid Amer Heart Inst, Kansas City, MO USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Reid, Kimberly J.
Kasl, Stanislav V.
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机构:Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Kasl, Stanislav V.
Lin, Haiqun
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机构:Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Lin, Haiqun
Jones, Philip G.
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St Lukes Mid Amer Heart Inst, Kansas City, MO USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Jones, Philip G.
Buchanan, Donna M.
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St Lukes Mid Amer Heart Inst, Kansas City, MO USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Buchanan, Donna M.
Parashar, Susmita
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Emory Univ, Atlanta, GA 30322 USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Parashar, Susmita
Peterson, Pamela N.
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Univ Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO USA
Denver Hlth Med Ctr, Denver, CO USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Peterson, Pamela N.
Spertus, John A.
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St Lukes Mid Amer Heart Inst, Kansas City, MO USA
Univ Missouri, Kansas City, MO 64110 USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
Spertus, John A.
Lichtman, Judith H.
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Yale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USAYale Univ, Sch Med, Dept Epidemiol & Publ Hlth, New Haven, CT 06520 USA