PTSD Symptoms in Intellectually Disabled Victims of Sexual Assault

Abstract

The high rates of sexual violence in the country suggest that people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are likely to be sexually victimised. Rape and sexual assault have negative consequences for survivors, with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) being the most common psychiatric diagnosis used to capture the reaction to this trauma. This study sought to investigate the presence of PTSD symptoms in a group of people with ID who had been sexually abused. The Child PTSD Checklist was administered to 54 individuals with ID — 27 with and 27 without a known history of sexual abuse. The Checklist was also administered to the care-givers of those who had been sexually abused. Higher rates of a PTSD diagnosis and a higher intensity of PTSD symptoms were found in the group with than in the group without a history of sexual abuse. There were no significant differences between self and care-giver reports with respect to the prevalence of a PTSD diagnosis, but there were differences on the different symptom clusters. The results indicate that survivors with ID should be asked directly about their internal subjective experiences, with care-giver reports being used as collateral information, and that therapeutic interventions following sexual abuse should be offered.