Ja. Petrak et Ea. Campbell, Post-traumatic stress disorder in female survivors of rape attending a genitourinary medicine clinic: a pilot study, INT J STD A, 10(8), 1999, pp. 531-535
This study describes psychological symptomatology including posttraumatic s
tress disorder (PTSD) in 19 women attending a specialist sexual assault ser
vice within a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Women were interviewed w
ithin one year post-rape (mean=12 weeks) using standardized questionnaires
for PTSD and other psychological symptomatology. Seventeen (89.5%) of 19 wo
men met full criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. Anxiety predominated amongst
other psychological symptomatology. Suicidal ideation was reported by 8 wo
men and one made a suicide attempt following the rape. Although it is ackno
wledged this is a small, select sample, the high level of psychological tra
uma found suggests that genitourinary medicine clinics providing for sexual
assault require access to mental health professionals.