Fergerson Ava K, Brausch Amy M
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, USA.
J Interpers Violence. 2022 Jan;37(1-2):NP1013-NP1030. doi: 10.1177/0886260520918581. Epub 2020 May 13.
It is widely known that sexual assault disproportionately affects women, and college-aged women are particularly at risk. Sexual assault can occur at any age and may have a varying range of emotional consequences for survivors, including pathological coping mechanisms such as disordered eating behaviors. This study examined the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and disordered eating behavior in a sample of women who reported experiencing sexual assault in adulthood. The sample included 312 undergraduate women who identified as majority White (81.4%) and heterosexual (77.9%). Participants completed measures assessing history of sexual experiences, PTSD symptoms, disordered eating behavior, and resilience. Only those who reported experiences of sexual victimization since age 14+ were included in analyses. Results confirmed the hypothesis, as resilience significantly mediated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and disordered eating behavior in a sample of women with a history of sexual victimization. These results highlight the importance of resilience as a mitigating factor in recovery from sexual trauma. Other research indicates that resilience may have emotion-regulatory benefits that mitigate the development of disordered eating behavior. However, the specific functionality of resilience as a protective factor after sexual victimization is unclear. Further research should focus on ways to foster resilience in a clinical setting for those with a history of sexual victimization. Limitations of this study include underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities, as well as use of entirely self-report measures.
众所周知，性侵犯对女性的影响尤为严重，而大学年龄段的女性尤其容易受到威胁。性侵犯可发生在任何年龄，对幸存者可能产生一系列不同的情绪后果，包括诸如饮食失调行为等病理性应对机制。本研究调查了复原力在成年后报告遭受性侵犯的女性样本中，对创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状与饮食失调行为之间关系的中介作用。样本包括312名本科女生，她们大多为白人（81.4%）且为异性恋（77.9%）。参与者完成了评估性经历史、PTSD症状、饮食失调行为和复原力的测量。分析仅纳入了那些报告自14岁及以上有性受害经历的人。结果证实了假设，因为在有性受害史的女性样本中，复原力显著中介了PTSD症状与饮食失调行为之间的关系。这些结果凸显了复原力作为性创伤恢复中的一个缓解因素的重要性。其他研究表明，复原力可能具有情绪调节益处，可减轻饮食失调行为的发展。然而，性受害后复原力作为保护因素的具体功能尚不清楚。进一步的研究应聚焦于在临床环境中为有性受害史的人培养复原力的方法。本研究的局限性包括种族和少数族裔代表性不足，以及完全使用自我报告测量方法。
