Longitudinal Investigation of Stigma and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Women Exposed to Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12437846 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christine Bourey (0000-0002-8402-5250, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, corresponding author), Jeffrey Ba (0000-0002-5192-628X, Johns Hopkins University), Judith K Bass (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), Debra Kaysen (0000-0001-7961-2787, Stanford University School of Medicine), Daniel P Lakin (0000-0003-0723-7054, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), Amani Matabaro (Action Kivu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo), Sarah M Murray (0000-0002-4976-9713, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 6-7 |
| Pages | 1795-1810 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-08 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Violence Against Women (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1077-8012 • E-ISSN: 1552-8448 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10778012251338488 |
| PMID | 40336339 |
| OpenAlex | W4410214579 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
Current studies suggest relationships between sexual violence, stigma, and psychosocial functioning but cannot disentangle temporal relationships. We used longitudinal data from the Democratic Republic of Congo to fit models estimating whether stigma predicted the long-term psychosocial well-being of sexual-violence-exposed women who participated in a cognitive processing therapy trial. We found that felt stigma predicted depression and anxiety (β = 0.66, p = .005), traumatic stress (β = 0.54, p = .025), and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV; OR = 2.68, p = .044), but not other social (e.g., group membership) or violence-related (e.g., physical IPV) experiences. The results highlight the need for interventions that integrate stigma reduction alongside psychological care
Anxiety · Domestic violence · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV · Medical emergency · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Psychosocial · Sexual violence · Social stigma · Stigma (botany · Suicide prevention · Clinical Psychology · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework
Stigma and its public health implications
Cognitive processing therapy for sexual assault victims.
Intimate partner violence and women's physical and mental health in the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence
A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder
Prevalence and Health Impact of Intimate Partner Violence and Non-partner Sexual Violence Among Female Adolescents Aged 15–19 Years in Vulnerable Urban Environments
Patterns of conflict-related trauma exposure and their relation to psychopathology
Economic, social and mental health impacts of an economic intervention for female sexual violence survivors in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Sexual violence in the protracted conflict of DRC programming for rape survivors in South Kivu
Experiences of female survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
The impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy on stigma among survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
If your husband doesn't humiliate you, other people won't’
Family and Community Rejection and a Congolese Led Mediation Intervention to Reintegrate Rejected Survivors of Sexual Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Risk for Family Rejection and Associated Mental Health Outcomes Among Conflict-Affected Adult Women Living in Rural Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Relationships Between Stigma and Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Sex Workers Living With HIV
Estimates and Determinants of Sexual Violence Against Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The Effect of Cognitive Therapy on Structural Social Capital
From Violence in the Home to Physical Dating Violence Victimization
Past horrors, present struggles
Stigmatisation and rejection of survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2)
| Highly cited | No |
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