Citation

Machado CL, de Azevedo RC, Facuri CO, Vieira MJ, Fernandes AM. Int. J. Gynaecol. Obstet. 2011; 113(1): 58-62.

Affiliation

Gynecological Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.10.016

PMID

21255779

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and hopelessness in women 1 and 6months after they experienced sexual violence. METHODS: This prospective study, in which the clinician-administered PTSD scale, the Beck depression inventory, and the Beck hopelessness scale were used, included 67 women at 1month and 52 women at 6months after they experienced sexual violence. RESULTS: Overall, 77.6% of the women were ≤24years of age, and 52% were adolescents; 15% had a history of drug abuse, and 13.5% had a history of previous sexual violence. The aggressor was unknown in 76% of cases, and there was more than 1 aggressor in 9% of cases. In the first month, 43% of the women had moderate or very severe PTSD; 52.2% had moderate or severe depression; and 22.4% had moderate or severe hopelessness, which decreased to 21%, 20% and 10%, respectively, at 6months. In the first month, severity of PTSD was associated with moderate or severe depression, and at 6months severity of PTSD was associated with multiple aggressors and previous psychiatric disorders. All scores decreased in the sixth month. CONCLUSION: Severe mental health disorders were still present 6months after women had experienced sexual violence.

Language: en