Socioenvironmental context of sexual trauma and well-being of women veterans

Abstract

The incidence of episodes of harassment and rape among military populations has only recently been examined. In the present study, a sample of 336 female veterans in a primary care setting was assessed. The incidences of lifetime sexual victimization, anxiety, depression, and impact of trauma for victims of specific trauma contexts are presented. Results of the study indicated that female veterans with a history of cumulative rape experiences and civilian rape experiences are more at risk for anxiety and depression than those with only a military experience of rape. No significant differences were found for impact of event scores for different contexts of rape, however. Reporting of trauma was not associated with psychological well-being for women veterans. The results highlight the role of the socioenvironmental context of abuse as an important variable to examine, especially in military populations.