Cognitive mediation of rape's mental, physical, and social health impact: tests of four models in cross-sectional data.
Four nested, theoretically specified, increasingly complex models were tested representing cognitive mediation of rape's effects on mental, physical, and social health. Data were cross-sectional (N = 253 rape survivors). Outcomes were standardized assessments of social maladjustment, physical, and psychological symptoms, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The best-fitting model was not fully cognitively mediated. Personological and rape characteristics influenced the level of self-blame experienced and the intensity of maladaptive beliefs about self and others. Self-blame and maladaptive beliefs predicted psychological distress, which strongly influenced all health outcomes. Self-ratings of rape memory characteristics contributed little to predicting postrape distress. The model accounted for 56% of the variance in general distress, including 91% of psychological symptom severity; 54% of PTSD symptoms; 65% of social maladjustment; and 17% of physical symptoms. Longitudinal replication is planned.
mpk@u.arizona.edu
Mary P
MP
Koss
Aurelio José
AJ
Figueredo
Ronald J
RJ
Prince
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D011584:Psychology; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*