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Sexual Assault Severity and Depressive Symptoms as Longitudinal Predictors of the Quality of Women's Sexual Experiences

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: Depressive symptoms are one consequence of adult/adolescent sexual victimization (ASV) and are linked to sexual health. Female nonproblem drinkers (N = 419) with an ASV history participated in a one-year longitudinal study. Participants completed measures of lifetime ASV severity and four quarterly assessments of depressive symptoms, ASV severity, and sexual experience quality. Multilevel models revealed that depressive symptoms interacted with ASV severity: Women with low-lifetime ASV severity reported higher ratings of sexual pain as depressive symptoms increased. ASV reported during assessment months predicted sexual experience quality. Interventions to improve survivors' sexual experiences should consider incorporating treatment for depressive symptoms.

Source: Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2016.1208127

Authors: Elizabeth C. Neilson, Jeanette Norris, Amanda E. B. Bryan, Cynthia A. Stappenbeck

Institution: University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Gender equality

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism