title: Prospective investigation of mental health following sexual assault.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Comorbidity in psychological disorders is common following exposure to a traumatic event. Relatively little is known about the manner in which changes in the symptoms of a given type of psychological disorder in the acute period following a trauma impact changes in symptoms of another disorder. This study investigated the relationship between changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms in the first 12 weeks following sexual assault.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 126 women who had been sexually assaulted in the previous 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower level mediation analyses revealed that changes in PTSD symptoms had a greater impact on changes in depression and anxiety than vice versa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding highlights the role of PTSD symptoms in influencing subsequent change in other psychological symptoms. These findings are discussed in the context of models detailing the trajectory of psychological disorders following trauma, and clinical implications are considered.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. anickerson@psy.unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nickerson
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steenkamp
authors.forename: Idan M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Aerka
authors.forename: Kristalyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salters-Pedneault
authors.forename: Teresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Carper
authors.forename: J Ben
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Brett T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Litz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult