Sexual Assault Disclosure and Related Mental Health Among Undergraduate Female Assault Survivors

Abstract

Through online, self-report surveys, this dissertation sought to illuminate sexual assault disclosure experiences as well as the relationship between negative reactions to sexual assault disclosures and mental health among undergraduate women who had experience alcoholinvolved and non-alcohol involved assaults (AIAs and non-AIAs, respectively). Study 1 characterized survivors’ disclosure confidantes and the disclosure reactions that survivors received, and also compared how frequently AIA and non-AIA survivors received different reactions from different providers as well as likelihood of having disclosed to different confidantes. Study 2 investigated the associations between various negative disclosure reactions, PTSD symptoms, motivation to drink to cope with negative affect, and alcohol use behavior. Taken together, findings suggest that it is critical to consider the social context of sexual assault recovery in working with undergraduate sexual assault survivors and their social supporters.