Cognitive–Emotional Aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Female Genital Mutilation

Abstract

Around 200 million women and girls worldwide are affected by female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C is a procedure that harms or alters the external female genitals for non-medical reasons, and is usually performed on children. Often, this procedure leads to severe consequences for the women’s physical and mental health. In a cross-sectional sample of 112 women seeking medical counseling, physical and mental health characteristics associated with FGM/C were examined and possible predictors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women affected by FGM/C were identified. A total of 55.4% (n = 66) of the women reported symptom levels of probable PTSD. Predictors for higher PTSD symptomology were an older age at the time of the FGM/C procedure, feelings of guilt and the centrality of the event in the woman’s life. Thus, cognitive–emotional processing was found to play an important role in the emergence of PTSD in women suffering from FGM/C. However, interventions taking into consideration these characteristics are mostly lacking and need to be investigated further in the context of FGM/C.