Military Sexual Trauma

Abstract

This article reviews the literature documenting the prevalence of military sexual trauma (MST) and its associated mental and physical health consequences. Existing research indicates that prevalence rates of MST vary depending on method of assessment, definition of MST used, and type of sample. Risk factors for MST have been identified as including age, enlisted rank, negative home life, and previous assault history. MST has been associated with increased screening rates of depression and alcohol abuse, in addition to significantly increased odds of meeting criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, MST has been associated with reporting increased number of current physical symptoms, impaired health status, and more chronic health problems in veterans. Available research on health care utilization and MST is also discussed. Researchers are encouraged to utilize standardized definitions of MST, employ standardized assessment methodology, and utilize more male veterans in future research. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

Institutional betrayal.

“…Maintaining the cohesion of a military unit is prioritized above investigating or prosecuting reports of sexual harassment or assault, and an efficient veterans' health care system is prioritized over compassionate treatment of survivors of military sexual trauma (Campbell & Raja, 2005). While estimates of the rates of military sexual trauma tend to vary depending on the measurement (e.g., open-ended vs. specific) and population (e.g., active duty soldiers vs. treatment-seeking veterans), many sources tend to estimate that 20%-40% of women and 5%-10% of men in the military have experienced military sexual trauma (Stander, Merrill, Thomsen, Crouch, & Milner, 2008;Surìs & Lind, 2008). Yet legal and medical support is not easily gained for these individuals (Sadler et al, 2004), and prevention efforts have largely been unsuccessful (Campbell & Raja, 2005;Booth, Mengeling, Torner, & Sadler, 2011).…”

“…These circumstances may serve to increase access for perpetrators, such as when coaches provide unsupervised rides home or travel for tournaments (Brackenridge et al, 2008). They may also serve to reduce resistance in victims, such as when alcohol is provided or underage alcohol consumption is accepted in youth athletics or when binge drinking occurs in the military (Surìs & Lind, 2008). It is also common to see authority figures exercise complete control over many aspects of life such as diet, medical access, and social activities (Brackenridge et al, 2008).…”

Servicewomen’s Strategies to Staying Safe During Military Service

“…Thus, some of what the women expressed as salient concerns several years ago might not be as relevant to servicewomen's present day deployment experiences. It is also important to note research has shown that the youngest, lowest ranking, single women between the ages of 18-24 are at the highest risk of sexual assault during military service [39]. The ages of the R/NG servicewomen in our study ranged from 25 to 61 and the mean age was 42 and 40 was the mean age of the entire sample, limiting our insights into the experiences of younger women.…”

Military Sexual Trauma Exposure and Heart Rate Variability Outcomes in Female Veterans

“…The cascade of events stemming from trauma contributes to negative health outcomes (Street, Stafford, Mahan, & Hendricks, 2008;Suris & Lind, 2008), greater utilization of health services (Sadler et al, 2004;Suris, Lind, Kashner, Borman, & Petty, 2004), more disability applications (Murdoch, Polusny, Hodges, & Cowper, 2006), and increased homelessness of female veterans (Desai, Harpaz-Rotem, Najavitis, & Rosenheck, 2008). Another assumption is that the accuracy of occurrence, severity, or frequency of selfreported MST.…”

“…HRV improved following cognitive behavior therapy sessions in depressed patients in a previous study (Carney et al, 2000), and HRV could provide a physiological measure of psychotherapy effectiveness in future studies (Spira et al, 2006). Mandated removal of the soldier from the environment where the sexual assault occurred by temporary assignment to a safe shelter for timely processing of the traumatic event may prevent costly psychological and physical sequelae Suris & Lind, 2008;Suris et al, 2004).…”