The Effect of Adverse Mental Health and Resilience on Perceived Stress by Sexual Violence History

Katherine M. Anderson, Kiyomi Tsuyuki, Alexandra Fernandez DeSoto and Jamila K. Stockman
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Katherine M. Anderson: Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Kiyomi Tsuyuki: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Alexandra Fernandez DeSoto: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Jamila K. Stockman: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA 92093, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: Sexual violence, including nonconsensual sexual initiation and rape, remains pervasive, with impacts including adverse mental health and dysregulated stress response. Resilience is a promising interventional target. To advance the science, we examined the potential for resilience as an interventional tool by estimating associations between resilience, adverse mental health, and perceived stress among women by sexual violence history and partner perpetration. We analyzed 2018–2020 baseline survey data from 65 women enrolled in a prospective case-control study of sexual violence and HIV susceptibility in San Diego, CA. Multiple linear regressions were performed to examine associations, stratified by sexual violence history. About half of women experienced nonconsensual sexual initiation and/or rape; half of rapes were partner-perpetrated. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly associated with perceived stress among survivors (in regressions with depression and resilience, nonconsensual initiation: β = 6.514, p = 0.003, R 2 = 0.616; rape: β = 5.075, p = 0.030, R 2 = 0.611). Resilience was associated with lower perceived stress for all women; the effect appeared stronger among survivors of sexual violence (nonconsensual initiation: β = −0.599, p < 0.001 vs. β = −0.452, p = 0.019; rape: β = −0.624, p < 0.001 vs. β = −0.421, p = 0.027). Partner perpetration of rape was not associated with perceived stress. Our findings support leveraging resilience and addressing PTSD to reduce perceived stress among women with lifetime experiences of sexual violence.

Keywords: sexual violence; depression; PTSD; resilience; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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