Cycle of sexual assault and women's alcohol misuse.

PURPOSE

To describe the complex relationship between sexual assault and alcohol misuse by female assault victims.

DATA SOURCES

Drawing on recent research and theoretical models from other social sciences, the author interjects a nursing perspective for this complex patient problem.

CONCLUSIONS

This review of theories and models, and the evidence that supports them, provides a way for nurses to conceptualize the relationship between sexual victimization and alcohol misuse as bidirectional or reciprocal.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The evidence and models discussed here suggest that when patients present with sexual assault or alcohol misuse, nurses should assess and address the possibility of both conditions being present.