The Association of Sexual Assault and Attempted Suicide within the community:
This study was actually conducted in North Carolina, primarily at Duke University. They wanted to compare a the relation between sexual assault and attempted suicide or suicidal thoughts. They conducted two hours face to face interviews with around 2,918 informants on the subject.
They found that the groups who were more likely to get assaulted were females between 25-64 years old, though in general the highest numbers occurred between 18-24.. They also found that the number of times that people would be assaulted was between 1-40 times.
They found that those who were sexually assaulted were at a higher rate for committing suicide and experiencing PTSD symptoms. They also found that those with trauma and depression were more likely to attempt suicide.
In this study they did not look at demographics, simply men and women, of all backgrounds. Through their study they concluded that respondents who were sexually assaulted were 6 times more likely to attempt suicide and that 1 in 5 would actually attempt it. This risk increased substantially if the victim was assaulted before the age of 16.
The main purpose of this article, which was not detailed until the end was to aid in efforts within the medical community in the treatment of patients. Again this is an example of how mental health can affect body functions. Hopefully with the help of studies like this we can access sexual history in order to gain a fuller picture of patients overall health.
-Chelsea Cullen