Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Lifetime interpersonal victimization profiles and mental health problems in a nationally representative panel of trauma-exposed adults from the United Kingdom

Charak, Ruby; Vang, Maria Louison; Shevlin, Mark; Ben-Ezra, Menachem; Karatzias, Thanos; Hyland, Philip

Authors

Ruby Charak

Maria Louison Vang

Mark Shevlin

Menachem Ben-Ezra

Philip Hyland



Abstract

Exposure to traumatic events has been associated with negative psychological outcomes. There is, however, a dearth of research on revictimization (i.e., experiences of victimization during both childhood and adulthood). The current study examined different patterns of lifetime interpersonal victimization based on six types of childhood maltreatment, physical and sexual assault, and assault with a weapon during adulthood via latent class analysis (LCA) with gender as covariate. Using a 3-step approach the study assessed differences across the latent classes in symptoms and diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder. An adult sample representative of the United Kingdom population with exposure to trauma (N = 1,051) was recruited online through a research panel. Mean age of the sample was 47.18 years (SD = 15.00, range = 18-90 years; 68.4% female). LCA identified five classes, namely, lifetime polyvictimization (8.3%; 69.5% female), sexual revictimization (13.7%; 96.5% female), physical revictimization (12.5%; 1.5% male), childhood trauma (25.9%; 85.6% female), and limited victimization (39.7%; 40.3% female). The revictimization class had elevated scores in anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, followed by the childhood trauma class compared to the other classes. The polyvictimization class had nearly a 9 to 33-fold increase in risk of a diagnosis of depression, anxiety and PTSD, compared to the limited victimization class. Findings facilitate the identification of individuals at risk for revictimization and indicate that evidence-based clinical interventions should be targeted towards those with exposure to revictimization and childhood trauma to alleviate symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.

Citation

Charak, R., Vang, M. L., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., Karatzias, T., & Hyland, P. (2020). Lifetime interpersonal victimization profiles and mental health problems in a nationally representative panel of trauma-exposed adults from the United Kingdom. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33(5), 654-664. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22527

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 1, 2020
Online Publication Date Jun 9, 2020
Publication Date 2020-10
Deposit Date Feb 24, 2020
Publicly Available Date Jun 10, 2021
Print ISSN 0894-9867
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 33
Issue 5
Pages 654-664
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22527
Keywords childhood adversities; revictimization; depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder; Latent class analysis; United Kingdom
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2584555

Files

Lifetime Interpersonal Victimization Profiles And Mental Health Problems In A Nationally Representative Panel Of Trauma-exposed Adults From The United Kingdom (204 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [FULL CITE], which has been published in final form at [Link to final article using the DOI]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.








You might also like



Downloadable Citations