TOPIC: MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA (MST) & POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IN FEMALE VETERANS

Topic: Military Sexual Trauma (MST) & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Female Veterans

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Female Veterans

Introduction

MORE THAN 160,500 American female soldiers who assisted in Iraq and/or Afghanistan since hostilities started in 2003 (Kang et al., 2005 ) were disputed by the hardships of conflict, for example the blasting apparatus and mortars, the murdering of citizens, heat, sleeplessness, and fear. They furthermore were battled by the hazard of sexual assault by male U.S. soldiers. Sexual assault is characterised by the Department of Defense (DOD) as the supposed infringements of rape, nonconsensual sodomy, redundant sexual communicate, and endeavours to consign these infringements (DOD, 2004). Comprehensive facts and numbers on the sexual assault of female soldiers assisting overseas have not been completely assembled, yet early figures disclosed a difficulty grave sufficient for the DOD to pattern a task force in 2004. The task force discovered that the rates of described sexual assault accusations were 69.1 and 70.0 per 100,000 uniformed service constituents, encompassing both men and women, for 2002 and 2003, respectively (DOD, 2004). As a outcome, the DOD started a Web location in 2005 conceived to clarify that sexual assault is illicit and to assist women soldiers report it (DOD, 2009).

The persistence of sexual violence inside the U.S. equipped forces has long been identified by military agents, policymakers, wellbeing care professionals, and the media. Herman (1992 ) report, financed by the DOD, shows that the yearly incidence of experiencing sexual assault is 3% amidst hardworking obligation women in evaluation to 1% amidst hardworking obligation men. Sexual assault encompasses rape, forcible sodomy, indecent assault, and any endeavours of these offenses. The military services described 1,007 victims of sexual assaults in 2002 and 1,113 in 2003. This converts to occurrence rates of 69.1 and 70 supposed sexual assaults per 100,000 hardworking obligation constituents for 2002 and 2003, respectively (DOD, 2004). Sadler, Booth, Cook, and Doebbeling (2003) described in their study that 28% of the 558 female veterans who were consulted skilled one or more rapes/attempted rapes throughout military service. (Lang et al., 2003 ) Sexual coercion, for example pledges of job advantages or risks of job decrease, happen at an yearly rate of 8% amidst women in evaluation to 1% amidst men, and redundant sexual vigilance, encompassing moving, fondling, or intimidating endeavours to start a sexual connection, happen at an yearly rate of 27% amidst women in evaluation to 5% amidst men. A latest investigation discovered no lessening of sexual violence in the direction of women in the military; 2,923 sexual assaults were described in fiscal year 2008, approximately an 8% boost from fiscal year 2007 (DOD, 2009).

 

Risk components for female soldiers' sextual trauma

The psychological consequences of sexual assault have been well-documented for both women and men. Studies display that men and women who have been assaulted often have high rates of depression and anxiety symptoms, matter abuse and dependence, sexual ...