Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as an Early Response to Sexual Assault

Abstract

The present study assessed the acute reactions of women who had experienced sexual assault within a framework of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hundred women treated for sexual assault at a university hospital emergency department were interviewed within 72 hours of the incident. Of the 30 women reinterviewed 6 to 8 weeks later, 22 (73.3%) met the full criteria for PTSD, and an additional 5 reported symptoms in either the intrusive or avoidant domain. Twenty (66.7%) of the women met the criteria for PTSD based on an early draft of DSM-III-R. A prior history of sexual assaults was positively correlated with the presence of PTSD and the use of an informal support network was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms.