Evaluation of vulnerable women due to the altered state of consciousness induced by substances and lack of consent for sexual meeting as risk factors of gravity of TEPT triggered by rape

• Grant number: 19/13417-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Feijó de Mello
• Grantee: Isabella Messina Benvenuti
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/12559-5 - Posttraumatic stress disorder and neuroprogression: new approaches to understand the effects of violence on mental functioning, AP.TEM

Abstract

Cases of sexual violence (rape) associated with the use of mind-altering substances, such as benzodiazepines, ketamine and alkaloids in general associated with alcohol, without the knowledge or consent of the woman, are common. The fact that the violence occur without the mnemic record, and even the initial consent of the encounter, until the ingestion of the drugs can lead to difficulties in the elaboration of this traumatic situation. These findings suggest that the way the victim classifies the rape experience, its relationship to the perpetrator and consent will define the risk and severity of PTSD, and we believe that these factors may also influence the response to treatment. In this study we want to evaluate the differences regarding the severity of PTSD symptoms and the presence of dissociative and surveillance symptoms among vulnerable and non vulnerable rape victims. Our hypothesis is that vulnerable victims present PTSD, more severe depressive and anxious symptoms, than those who do not have a vulnerability at the time of the aggression. We also have as secondary hypotheses that vulnerable victims have more significant use of alcohol and substances and will have more history of sexual re-traumatization (presence of history and sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence). Data from this study will be collected in a study cohort approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research of the Federal University of São Paulo.