Nicole A Short1, Danielle M Morabito2, Amanda K Gilmore3. 1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 2. Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. 3. Department of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences, Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Women who have experienced a recent sexual assault (SA) are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions, with approximately half of women experiencing SA meeting criteria for PTSD. There are no guidelines for the prevention of PTSD and other common mental health disorders after SA. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesize research on secondary preventions for PTSD after SA, determine efficacy whether any intervention seems promising, and ascertain when, how, and to whom interventions should be delivered. METHODS: After searching electronic databases for secondary preventions for PTSD and related conditions among women who have experienced a recent SA, 17 studies were reviewed, their quality was rated on the clinical trial assessment measure, and 10 studies were meta-analyzed (7 were excluded, as they were not randomized controlled trials or due to the absence of heterogeneity). RESULTS: Results suggested a small-to-moderate effect of prevention on reducing PTSD and related symptoms. There was no moderating effect of medication versus psychosocial interventions, timing, treatment modality, or targeted versus universal prevention. Half of the studies were of high quality. CONCLUSION: Cognitive-behavioral secondary preventions for PTSD appear to be safe and effective among women who have experienced a recent SA. Future research should identify best practices and mechanisms of treatment, and once identified, it should move toward implementation science.
BACKGROUND: Women who have experienced a recent sexual assault (SA) are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions, with approximately half of women experiencing SA meeting criteria for PTSD. There are no guidelines for the prevention of PTSD and other common mental health disorders after SA. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesize research on secondary preventions for PTSD after SA, determine efficacy whether any intervention seems promising, and ascertain when, how, and to whom interventions should be delivered. METHODS: After searching electronic databases for secondary preventions for PTSD and related conditions among women who have experienced a recent SA, 17 studies were reviewed, their quality was rated on the clinical trial assessment measure, and 10 studies were meta-analyzed (7 were excluded, as they were not randomized controlled trials or due to the absence of heterogeneity). RESULTS: Results suggested a small-to-moderate effect of prevention on reducing PTSD and related symptoms. There was no moderating effect of medication versus psychosocial interventions, timing, treatment modality, or targeted versus universal prevention. Half of the studies were of high quality. CONCLUSION: Cognitive-behavioral secondary preventions for PTSD appear to be safe and effective among women who have experienced a recent SA. Future research should identify best practices and mechanisms of treatment, and once identified, it should move toward implementation science.
Authors: Sheila A M Rauch; H Myra Kim; Corey Powell; Peter W Tuerk; Naomi M Simon; Ron Acierno; Carolyn B Allard; Sonya B Norman; Margaret R Venners; Barbara O Rothbaum; Murray B Stein; Katherine Porter; Brian Martis; Anthony P King; Israel Liberzon; K Luan Phan; Charles W Hoge Journal: JAMA Psychiatry Date: 2019-02-01 Impact factor: 21.596
Authors: Amanda K Gilmore; Tatiana M Davidson; Ruschelle M Leone; Lauren B Wray; Daniel W Oesterle; Christine K Hahn; Julianne C Flanagan; Kathleen Gill-Hopple; Ron Acierno Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-08-25 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Nicole A Short; Megan Lechner; Benjamin S McLean; Andrew S Tungate; Jenny Black; Jennie A Buchanan; Rhiannon Reese; Jeffrey D Ho; Gordon D Reed; Melissa A Platt; Ralph J Riviello; Catherine H Rossi; Patricia P Nouhan; Carolyn A Phillips; Sandra L Martin; Israel Liberzon; Sheila A M Rauch; Kenneth A Bollen; Ronald C Kessler; Samuel A McLean Journal: Depress Anxiety Date: 2020-10-08 Impact factor: 6.505