Health complaints in acknowledged and unacknowledged rape victims.
Rape may have physical as well as mental health consequences. Previous studies on health complaints in sexual assault survivors have focused on women who acknowledged their assault as rape. Unacknowledged rape victims do not define their assault as "rape" despite meeting legal definitions. In this study, acknowledged victims, unacknowledged victims, and a control group reported the number of health complaints, the intensity of complaints, and how often they reported these complaints to health professionals. Rape alone, without acknowledgment, was associated with in an increase in the reported number and intensity of health complaints and the frequency at which these complaints are addressed to health professionals. Acknowledgment of rape was associated with an even greater increase in the number and intensity of health complaints.
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 1240 William James Hall, 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. conoscen@wjh.harvard.edu
Lauren M
LM
Conoscenti
Richard J
RJ
McNally
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires