Surviving the Storm

Abstract

African American women are at high risk for sexual assault. In addition, many African American women endorse use of social support and religiosity to cope with life stressors. The current study investigates the relationship between these two coping strategies and post-trauma symptoms (depression and PTSD) in a sample of 413 African American female sexual assault survivors using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings indicated that African American assault survivors who have greater social support were less likely to endorse symptoms of depression and PTSD. Conversely, increased use of religious coping was related to greater endorsement of depression and PTSD symptoms. Counseling and research implications are explored.

An Exploratory Study of Trauma and Religious Factors in Predicting Drinking Outcomes in African American Sexual Assault Survivors

“…Building on past research (Ahrens et al, 2010; Bryant-Davis et al, 2011) showing positive effects of religious coping on mental health outcomes post-assault, we found that positive religious coping was related to less frequent drinking in African American sexual assault victims. By examining religious subgroups of survivors, we found that very religious women tended to drink less frequently and that their religious core beliefs were related greater drinking to cope.…”

“…The growing literature has mostly focused on religiosity as a protective factor against post-assault psychological symptoms, but not necessarily in relationship to alcohol outcomes in African American victims. Bryant-Davis et al (2011) found that African American sexual assault survivors with greater social support were less likely to endorse the symptoms of depression and PTSD. Conversely, increased use of religious coping was related to greater endorsement of depression and PTSD symptoms.…”

Sexual Violence Victimization and Associations with Health in a Community Sample of African American Women

“…The help sources typically sought by SV survivors include reporting assaults to police, obtaining protection orders (POs), receiving emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency trauma department care, turning to social support networks, and, in some cases, seeking mental health services and victim shelter services (Bryant-Davis, Ullman, Tsong, & Gobin, 2011; Kothari et al, 2012). Yet, the majority of all sexual assaults are not reported or shared with social services or law enforcement (Hanson et al, 2003), and often survivors who need medical care and counseling do not receive it (Resnick et al, 2000).…”

“…A small number of researchers have focused on increasing the attention in the literature on what Bryant-Davis and colleagues (2011) called the “cultural context of sexual assault recovery” (p. 1602). For example, Flicker et al (2011) investigated the differential impact of concomitant forms of violence (sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression) and ethnicity on help-seeking behaviors of female partner abuse survivors.…”

“…Culturally preferred sources of help, for example, for African American women generally come from informal support networks of family and friends, and faith-based resources and activities instead of more formal help sources such as mental health counseling (Bent-Goodley & Fowler, 2006; Bryant-Davis et al, 2011; Henning & Klesges, 2002). Taken together, more information is needed to better understand the victimization experiences, related risks, and help-seeking characteristics (i.e., types of services sought and obtained) for African American women SV survivors.…”