Prevalence of Sexual Violence and its Association with Depression among Male and Female Patients with Risky Drug Use in Urban Federally Qualified Health Centers

• Published in: Journal of urban health Vol. 95; no. 1; pp. 111 - 115
• Main Authors: Bone, Curtis W., Goodfellow, Amelia M., Vahidi, Mani, Gelberg, Lillian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-02-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aggression; Brief Report; Clinical trials; Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data; Data collection; Depressive Disorder - complications; Drug abuse; Drug use; Drug Users - psychology; Drug Users - statistics & numerical data; Epidemiology; Female; Females; Health care; Health Informatics; Humans; Los Angeles - epidemiology; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Middle Aged; Patients; Prevalence; Protocol (computers); Public Health; Rape; Self Report; Sex crimes; Sex Offenses - psychology; Sex Offenses - statistics & numerical data; Sexual assault; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Subpopulations; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Violence; Young Adult; Los Angeles; Interpersonal violence; Addiction; Sexual violence; FQHC; Substance abuse; Gender; Drug use
• ISSN: 1099-3460; 1468-2869
• DOI: 10.1007/s11524-017-0213-7

Sexual violence (SV) is common; however, the prevalence of SV and its long term sequela vary geographically and among subpopulations within the USA. As such, the aims of this study are the following: (1) to determine the prevalence of SV, (2) to identify correlates of SV, and (3) to determine if SV is associated with depression among male and female risky drug users in urban Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Los Angeles. This study includes adult patients of five urban FQHCs who self-reported risky drug use. We identified survivors of SV and those experiencing depression through survey questions that queried, before or after age 18, “Were you ever sexually assaulted, molested or raped?” and with the RAND Mental Health Index (MHI-5). We utilized Pearson’s chi-square tests to assess predictors of SV and logistic regression to assess for an association between SV and depression. Data collection took place from February 2011 to November 2012. Of the 334 study patients, 49% of females and 25% of males reported surviving SV. Exposure to SV, (both before 18 years of age and after 18 years of age) was the strongest predictor of depression among men and women in this study (OR 4.7,
p
 < 0.05). These data demonstrate that sexual violence is prevalent in this urban FQHC population and is strongly associated with depression. Providers should consider screening both men and women with risky drug use for SV while health systems should continue to align mental health and primary care services to appropriately care for these extremely vulnerable patients. Trial Registration Clinical Trials. gov ID NCT01942876, Protocol ID DESPR DA022445,
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov