Assault, psychiatric diagnoses, and sociodemographic variables in relation to help-seeking behavior in a national sample of women.
Using a national probability household sample of 4,008 women, we estimated the prevalence and correlates of formal and informal help seeking. One-year prevalences of formal help seeking (e.g., seeking help from professional) and informal help seeking (e.g., seeking help from a relative or friend) were 10.6 and 6.6%, respectively. In the final multivariable model, increased likelihood of informal help seeking was associated with younger age, history of sexual assault, and past-year diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episode (MDE). Similarly, increased likelihood of formal help seeking was associated with younger age, Caucasian racial/ethnic status, history of sexual assault, history of physical assault, and past-year diagnoses of PTSD and MDE. Implications for helping professionals and public education programs are discussed.
Lewis
Sarah F
SF
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. sarah.hewis@meridianBhs.org
Resnick
Heidi S
HS
Ruggiero
Kenneth J
KJ
Smith
Daniel W
DW
Kilpatrick
Dean G
DG
Best
Connie L
CL
Saunders
Benjamin E
BE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*