title: The effects of sexual violence on psychosocial outcomes in formerly abducted girls in Northern Uganda: the WAYS study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of sexual violence on the odds of different psychosocial outcomes (depression, psychotic symptoms, somatic complaints, conduct problems, daily functioning, community relations, and stigma) among formerly abducted girls in Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from an on-going War-Affected Youth Study (WAYS) in Uganda was used to compute the prevalence of psychosocial problems (scores ≥ 75th percentile) among three categories of formerly abducted girls (1) no history of sexual violence without children, 2) a history of sexual violence without children, and 3) a history of sexual violence with children as a consequence) among 210 women (age 22.06, SD = 2.06, range 18-25). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in psychosocial outcomes by the different categories of formerly abducted girls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to participants with no history of sexual violence and without any children, the odds of adverse psychosocial outcomes were increasingly higher for all psychosocial dimensions for those who reported sexual violence with or without children. Those with a history of sexual violence and with children as a consequence had more than five times the odds of reporting depressive symptoms (OR, 5.37; 95% CI (1.45-19.90), somatic complaints (OR, 6.59; 95% CI (1.80 - 24.11), and stigma (OR, 13.85; 95% CI (3.73 - 51.42) compared to those who did not report sexual violence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlighted the risks of psychosocial problems among different categories of formerly abducted girls regarding sexual violence. Vulnerability to psychosocial problems among formerly abducted girls is further compounded by sexual violence, child care, stigma, and poverty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 00705, Gaborone, Botswana. Kennedy.Amone@mopipi.ub.bw.
authors.forename: Kennedy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amone-P'Olak
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gulu University, P O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda. emilio.ovuga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ovuga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK. pbj21@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter Brian
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D059226:Nociceptive Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D057545:Social Stigma; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology*; D014454:Uganda; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult