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Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders as a function of variant rape histories: results from a national survey of women

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Rape is an established risk factor for mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episodes (MDE), and substance use disorders. The majority of studies have not differentiated substance-involved rape or examined comorbid diagnoses among victims. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of common trauma-related psychiatric disorders (and their comorbidity) in a national sample of women, with an emphasis on distinguishing between rape tactics. A secondary objective was to estimate the risk for psychiatric disorders among victims of variant rape tactics, in comparison to non-victims.

Methods

A nationally representative population-based sample of 3,001 non-institutionalized, civilian, English or Spanish speaking women (aged 18–86 years) participated in a structured telephone interview assessing rape history and DSM-IV criteria for PTSD, MDE, alcohol abuse (AA), and drug abuse (DA). Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed.

Results

Women with rape histories involving both substance facilitation and forcible tactics reported the highest current prevalence of PTSD (36%), MDE (36%), and AA (20%). Multivariate models demonstrated that this victim group was also at highest risk for psychiatric disorders, after controlling for demographics and childhood and multiple victimization history. Women with substance-facilitated rapes reported higher prevalence of substance abuse in comparison to women with forcible rape histories. Comorbidity between PTSD and other psychiatric disorders was higher among rape victims in comparison to non-rape victims.

Conclusions

Researchers and clinicians should assess substance-facilitated rape tactics and attend to comorbidity among rape victims. Empirically supported treatments are needed to address the complex presentations observed among women with variant rape histories.

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Notes

  1. Interview measures are available upon request.

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Acknowledgments

The research design and data collection were supported by National Institute of Justice Grant #2005-WG-BX-0006 (principal investigator: Dean G. Kilpatrick). Support for manuscript preparation was provided by NIDA 1R01DA023099-01A2 (principal investigator: Heidi Resnick). Views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the agencies supporting this research.

Heidi Zinzow had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Conflict of interest

There are no financial interests or conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Brackett Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA

    Heidi M. Zinzow

  2. National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Heidi S. Resnick, Jenna L. McCauley, Ananda B. Amstadter, Kenneth J. Ruggiero & Dean G. Kilpatrick

  3. Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA

    Kenneth J. Ruggiero

Authors
  1. Heidi M. Zinzow
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  2. Heidi S. Resnick
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  3. Jenna L. McCauley
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  4. Ananda B. Amstadter
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  5. Kenneth J. Ruggiero
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  6. Dean G. Kilpatrick
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Correspondence to Heidi M. Zinzow.

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Zinzow, H.M., Resnick, H.S., McCauley, J.L. et al. Prevalence and risk of psychiatric disorders as a function of variant rape histories: results from a national survey of women. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 893–902 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0397-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0397-1

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