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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Oct;37(10):1047-1059.
doi: 10.1002/da.23030. Epub 2020 May 22.

Secondary prevention for posttraumatic stress and related symptoms among women whohave experienced a recent sexual assault: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Nicole A Short  1 , Danielle M Morabito  2 , Amanda K Gilmore  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Secondary prevention for posttraumatic stress and related symptoms among women whohave experienced a recent sexual assault: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Nicole A Short et al. Depress Anxiety. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Background: Women who have experienced a recent sexual assault (SA) are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions, with approximately half of women experiencing SA meeting criteria for PTSD. There are no guidelines for the prevention of PTSD and other common mental health disorders after SA. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to synthesize research on secondary preventions for PTSD after SA, determine efficacy whether any intervention seems promising, and ascertain when, how, and to whom interventions should be delivered.

Methods: After searching electronic databases for secondary preventions for PTSD and related conditions among women who have experienced a recent SA, 17 studies were reviewed, their quality was rated on the clinical trial assessment measure, and 10 studies were meta-analyzed (7 were excluded, as they were not randomized controlled trials or due to the absence of heterogeneity).

Results: Results suggested a small-to-moderate effect of prevention on reducing PTSD and related symptoms. There was no moderating effect of medication versus psychosocial interventions, timing, treatment modality, or targeted versus universal prevention. Half of the studies were of high quality.

Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral secondary preventions for PTSD appear to be safe and effective among women who have experienced a recent SA. Future research should identify best practices and mechanisms of treatment, and once identified, it should move toward implementation science.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; posttraumatic stress; secondary prevention; sexual assault; substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of interest: none.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) inclusion flow diagram
Figure 2
Figure 2
Funnel plot of effect sizes for secondary preventions among women experiencing recent SA
Figure 3
Figure 3
Funnel plot with imputed studies using trim-and-fill procedures.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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