SERTRALINE IN THE TREATMENT OF RAPE VICTIMS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant problem followin g rape, yet reports on the efficacy of pharmacological agents in this population are lacking. The results of an open 12-week clinical trial utilizing sertraline (mean dose 105 mg) in the treatment of adult fema le rape victims with chronic PTSD are presented. The five completers w ere, on average, 41.6 years old and 15.6 years postassault. Sertraline reduced PTSD and related symptoms in these rape victims. The mean Cli nician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) scores decreased by 53%, with fo ur out of five participants responding positively to treatment. These preliminary results support the need for systematic assessment of sert raline in this population.