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ABSTRACT
In a sample of female victims of sexual assault (n = 122) this study examined the possibility of a positive or negative change in outlook on life 3 and 12 months following the assault and associations to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The majority of women reported a negative change or no change in outlook on life following the sexual assault. The group of women who reported a negative outlook on life 3 months following the sexual assault had a significant higher level of PTSD severity 12 months following the assault. More research is needed to enhance our understanding of the causal relationship between life changes and psychological distress following sexual assaults.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Nina Beck Hansen
Nina Beck Hansen is a PhD fellow at the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark. Her dissertation research examines how going through the judicial system affects victims of rape and sexual assault.
Maj Hansen
Maj Hansen is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark. Her research examines the psychological impact of interpersonal violence.
Louise Hjort Nielsen
Louise Hjort Nielsen is a PhD fellow at the Department of Psychology at the University of Southern Denmark. Her dissertation research examines how the legal, medical, and mental health systems respond to the needs of victims of rape and sexual assault and how this contact affects victims of rape and sexual assault.
Ask Elklit
Ask Elklit is a professor of psychology at the University of Southern Denmark and the head of the National Centre for Psychotraumatology. His research covers a wide array of areas in the field of psychological trauma, crisis intervention, and crisis management. He is currently involved in several major studies regarding domestic violence, war veterans, traumatized immigrants, sexual assault, and detecting traumas in infants, among many other projects.