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Psychological Distress and Relational Intimacy following Sexual Violence: A Longitudinal Study
Dagmar Stockman1,2,3, Katarzyna Uzieblo4,5, Elizaveta Fomenko6
1Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Psychologica Belgica
|December 23, 2024
Summary
Psychological distress after sexual violence impacts relationship intimacy. Relationship intimacy also affects psychological distress, indicating a two-way connection for survivors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Sexual violence can negatively affect survivors' psychological well-being and romantic relationships.
- Existing research primarily examines distress impacting relationships, with limited understanding of the reverse effect on survivors' mental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional relationship between psychological distress and relationship intimacy in sexual violence survivors.
- To explore how posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, stress, emotional intimacy, and sexual intimacy influence each other over time.
Main Methods:
- A three-wave yearly survey was conducted with a community sample of 274 sexual violence survivors.
- Data collected included measures of psychological distress (posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, stress) and relationship intimacy (emotional and sexual).
Main Results:
- Psychological distress, including posttraumatic stress, stress, and anxiety, was found to spill over into emotional and sexual intimacy.
- Emotional intimacy negatively impacted all psychological distress indicators, while sexual intimacy affected depression and anxiety, demonstrating reverse spillover.
Conclusions:
- Survivors' individual psychological functioning and relational intimacy are interconnected in a bidirectional manner.
- Interventions targeting relationship intimacy may improve survivors' psychological outcomes, and vice versa.
- Future dyadic research is recommended to further elucidate these complex associations.
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