Sexual Violence Characteristics and Postsecondary Women’s Mental Health

Abstract

This study examined the mental health of postsecondary students who reported sexual violence and explored if mental health effects of depression, anxiety, stress as well as posttraumatic stress were related to the types and forms of sexual violence experienced. A sample of 924 culturally diverse female-identifying students in Ontario, Canada answered questionnaires about sexual violence experiences, mental health, and educational outcomes. The results of the study revealed that students reporting any form of sexual violence had higher scores for depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress than students not reporting sexual violence. This study also found that the type of sexual violence experienced and the methods or tactics used were differentially associated with mental health symptoms. The results of this study highlight the importance of acknowledging the unique roles that types of sexual violence – particularly non-physical methods of coercion – have on the mental health of female postsecondary students.