Despite research findings
that similar numbers of male and female veterans are affected by military
sexual trauma (MST), there has been considerably less research on the effects
of MST specific to male veterans.
The aim of the present study was to provide
preliminary data describing functional correlates of military sexual assault
(MSA) among male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans to identify potential health
care needs for this population. We evaluated the following functional
correlates: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression symptoms,
alcohol use, drug use, suicidality, social support, violent behavior in the
past 30 days, incarceration, disability eligibility status, and use of
outpatient mental health treatment.
We compared 3 groups: (a) male veterans who
endorsed a history of MSA (n = 39), (b) a general non-MSA sample (n = 2,003),
and (c) a matched non-MSA sample (n = 39) identified by matching algorithms on
the basis of factors (e.g., age, education, adult premilitary sexual trauma
history, childhood sexual and physical trauma history, and race) that could
increase veterans' vulnerability to the functional correlates examined.
MSA in
men was associated with greater PTSD symptom severity, greater depression
symptom severity, higher suicidality, and higher outpatient mental health
treatment, above and beyond the effects of vulnerability factors. These
findings suggest that, for male veterans, MSA may result in a severe and
enduring overall symptom profile requiring ongoing clinical management.
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By:
- 1Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research.
- 2Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
- 3Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.
- 4Duke University School of Medicine, and Mental Health Services
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