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Predicting PTSD in women with a history of childhood rape
Author(s) -
Epstein Jeffery N.,
Saunders Benjamin E.,
Kilpatrick Dean G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.2490100405
Subject(s) - psychology , injury prevention , posttraumatic stress , poison control , clinical psychology , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , psychiatry , victimology , anxiety disorder , sexual abuse , medicine , medical emergency , anxiety , pathology
The impact of factors that predispose childhood rape victims to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is important in understanding both the impact of childhood rape and the development of PTSD as a psychological disorder. The present study attempted to determine which crime, perpetrator, victim, and aftermath characteristics are related to PTSD status. A national representative sample of women ( N = 3,220) were interviewed about their history of rape, trauma‐related variables, and PTSD status. Consistent with research on crime victims, life threat and physical injury discriminated PTSD status in a sample of childhood rape victims. In addition, two other domains were related to PTSD development: (1) testification about rape and (2) rape types. The present findings are discussed in relation to previous research.