COPING STRATEGIES AND POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER IN FEMALE VICTIMSOF SEXUAL AND NONSEXUAL ASSAULT

The coping behaviors and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of 215 female assault victims (103 rape victims and 112 nonsexual ass ault victims) were assessed within 2 weeks following the assault (Time I),and 133 of them (62%) were followed up 3 months later (Time 2). Po sttrauma symptom severity significantly decreased during the 3-month s tudy period, but PTSD severity levels at Times 1 and 2 were highly cor related. Three coping scales were constructed on the basis of explorat ory factor analyses: Mobilizing Support, Positive Distancing, and Wish ful Thinking. Three months postassault, rape victims showed higher lev els of wishful thinking and PTSD than nonsexual assault victims. Wishf ul thinking showed a positive association and positive distancing a ne gative association with PTSD severity, controlling for assault type, i nitial levels of PTSD severity, and other coping strategies. The clini cal relevance of these findings is discussed.