title: Coping strategies and posttraumatic stress disorder in female victims of sexual and nonsexual assault.
abstract: The coping behaviors and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of 215 female assault victims (103 rape victims and 112 nonsexual assault victims) were assessed within 2 weeks following the assault (Time 1), and 133 of them (62%) were followed up 3 months later (Time 2). Posttrauma symptom severity significantly decreased during the 3-month study period, but PTSD severity levels at Times 1 and 2 were highly correlated. Three coping scales were constructed on the basis of exploratory factor analyses: Mobilizing Support, Positive Distancing, and Wishful Thinking. Three months postassault, rape victims showed higher levels of wishful thinking and PTSD than nonsexual assault victims. Wishful thinking showed a positive association and positive distancing a negative association with PTSD severity, controlling for assault type, initial levels of PTSD severity, and other coping strategies. The clinical relevance of these findings is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Valentiner
authors.lastname: Foa EBDS
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Gershuny
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*