@article{ref1,
title="Resilience and post-traumatic stress disorder in the acute aftermath of rape: a comparative analysis of adolescents versus adults",
journal="Journal of child and adolescent mental health",
year="2014",
author="van der Walt, Lydia and Suliman, Sharain and Martin, Lindi and Lammers, Kees and Seedat, Soraya",
volume="26",
number="3",
pages="239-249",
abstract="Background Rape trauma contributes significantly to the mental burden of disease, affecting resilience and vulnerabilities at every developmental life stage. Appropriate resilience-promoting strategies could potentially buffer or protect trauma-exposed individuals from psychopathology. Aim This study aimed to assess and compare (using validated measuring instruments) resilience, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other variables in the acute aftermath of rape, between adolescent and adult females and to assess associations with these variables. <br><br>METHOD We conducted a comparative analysis of resilience, PTSD, prior trauma, demographic variables and psychiatric morbidity in 41 adolescent and 47 adult female rape survivors six weeks post-rape. We assessed the relationship of resilience to PTSD, demographic variables and prior trauma and investigated if resilience levels predicted PTSD after adjusting for prior trauma. <br><br>RESULTS We found no significant differences in resilience levels between the groups, but the adolescent PTSD rate (40%) was double that in adults (20%). In adults, a significant negative correlation was evident between resilience and PTSD symptoms scores. <br><br>CONCLUSION More knowledge of resilience versus stress susceptibility for PTSD throughout the lifespan is needed and can inform the development of more effective clinical assessment and resilience-promoting strategies.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1728-0583",
doi="10.2989/17280583.2014.923433",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/17280583.2014.923433"
}