Rape Crimes: Are Victims' Acute Psychological Distress and Perceived Social Support Associated With Police Case Decision and Victim Willingness to Participate in the Investigation?

This study examined level of acute psychological distress and perceived social support in 64 victims of rape and the association with police case decisions and victims' willingness to participate in the investigation. The results of independent-sample t tests revealed that victims' unwillingness to participate in the investigation was significantly associated with a higher level of psychological distress in the acute phase following the assault. The results suggest that victims of rape who disengage with the police investigation may do so because of a high level of acute psychological distress. Clinical implications are discussed.

Does size really matter? A multisite study assessing the latent structure of the proposed ICD-11 and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

Background: Researchers and clinicians within the field of trauma have to choose between different diagnostic descriptions of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the DSM-5 and the proposed ICD-11. Several studies support different competing models of the PTSD structure according to both diagnostic systems; however, findings show that the choice of diagnostic systems can affect the estimated prevalence rates. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the potential impact of using a large (i.e. the DSM-5) compared to a small (i.e. the ICD-11) diagnostic description of PTSD. In other words, does the size of PTSD really matter? Methods: The aim was investigated by examining differences in diagnostic rates between the two diagnostic systems and independently examining the model fit of the competing DSM-5 and ICD-11 models of PTSD across three trauma samples: university students (N = 4213), chronic pain patients (N = 573), and military personnel (N = 118). Results: Diagnostic rates of PTSD were significantly lower according to the proposed ICD-11 criteria in the university sample, but no significant differences were found for chronic pain patients and military personnel. The proposed ICD-11 three-factor model provided the best fit of the tested ICD-11 models across all samples, whereas the DSM-5 seven-factor Hybrid model provided the best fit in the university and pain samples, and the DSM-5 six-factor Anhedonia model provided the best fit in the military sample of the tested DSM-5 models. Conclusions: The advantages and disadvantages of using a broad or narrow set of symptoms for PTSD can be debated, however, this study demonstrated that choice of diagnostic system may influence the estimated PTSD rates both qualitatively and quantitatively. In the current described diagnostic criteria only the ICD-11 model can reflect the configuration of symptoms satisfactorily. Thus, size does matter when assessing PTSD.

Planteamiento: Los investigadores y clínicos del campo del trauma pronto decidirán entre dos descripciones diagnósticas diferentes del trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) en el DSM-5 y la propuesta CIE-11. Varios estudios apoyan diferentes modelos en competencia sobre la estructura del TEPT en función de ambos sistemas de diagnóstico; sin embargo, los resultados demuestran que la elección de los sistemas de diagnóstico puede afectar las tasas de prevalencia estimadas. Objetivos: y métodos. El presente estudio tenía como objetivo investigar el impacto potencial de usar una descripción del TEPT amplia (es decir, el DSM-5) en comparación con una pequeña (es decir, la CIE-11). En otras palabras, ¿el tamaño del TEPT importa realmente? El objetivo se investigó mediante el examen de las diferencias en las frecuencias de diagnóstico entre los dos sistemas de diagnóstico y examinando de forma independiente cómo se ajustaban los modelos en competencia para el TEPT del DSM-5 y la CIE-11 en tres muestras de trauma: estudiantes universitarios (N = 4213), pacientes con dolor crónico (N = 573) y personal militar (N = 118). Resultados: Las tasas diagnósticas del TEPT fueron significativamente más bajas según los criterios de la propuesta CIE-11 en la muestra universitaria, pero no se encontraron diferencias significativas para los pacientes con dolor crónico y el personal militar. El modelo de tres factores propuesto por la CIE-11 proporcionó el mejor ajuste de los modelos de la CIE-11 que fueron probados en todas las muestras. En cambio, el modelo híbrido de siete factores del DSM-5 proporcionó el mejor ajuste en las muestras universitaria y del dolor, y el modelo de Anhedonia de seis factores del DSM-5 en la muestra militar de los modelos probados del DSM-5. Conclusiones: Se pueden debatir las ventajas y desventajas de utilizar un conjunto amplio o reducido de síntomas para el TEPT; sin embargo, este estudio demostró que la elección del sistema de diagnóstico puede influir en las tasas estimadas del TEPT, tanto cualitativa como cuantitativamente. Al mismo tiempo, parece que, dados los criterios diagnósticos descritos actualmente, solo el modelo de la CIE-11 puede reflejar satisfactoriamente la configuración de los síntomas. Por lo tanto, el tamaño importa cuando se evalúa el TEPT.

Testing a multiple mediator model of the effect of childhood sexual abuse on adolescent sexual victimization.

The present study modeled the direct relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent peer-to-peer sexual victimization (APSV) and the mediated effect via variables representing the number of sexual partners, sexual risk behavior, and signaling sexual boundaries. A cross-sectional study on the effect of CSA on APSV was conducted, utilizing a multiple mediator model. Mediated and direct effects in the model were estimated employing Mplus using bootstrapped percentile based confidence intervals to test for significance of mediated effects. The study employed 327 Danish female adolescents with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD = 0.5). The estimates from the mediational model indicated full mediation of the effect of CSA on APSV via number of sexual partners and sexual risk behavior. The current study suggests that the link between CSA and APSV was mediated by sexual behaviors specifically pertaining to situations of social peer interaction, rather than directly on prior experiences of sexual victimization. The present study identifies a modifiable target area for intervention to reduce adolescent sexual revictimization.