title: Early adult sexual assault and disordered eating: the mediating role of posttraumatic stress symptoms.
abstract: Although adult sexual assault has been suggested to be a risk factor for disordered eating, little is known about the pathways leading to this disorder. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in the relationship between sexual assault and disordered eating among female students. A sample of 296 French female students completed a questionnaire assessing experiences of sexual assault from age 15, PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating. Results revealed that PTSD symptoms fully mediated the effect of early adult sexual assault on disordered eating (B = 1.10, SE = 1.64), and depressive symptoms were a partial mediator of this relationship (B = 2.64, SE = 1.28). When examining both mediators simultaneously the relationship was fully mediated and neither variable emerged as a significantly stronger mediator. Our findings highlight the complex relationship between PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating following sexual assault. Further investigation into the temporal relationships between these variables would contribute to inform prevention interventions for disordered eating.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche en Psychopathologie, Université Toulouse le Mirail, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Auberi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubosc
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capitaine
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Franko
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bui
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chabrol
authors.forename: Rachel F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult