Abuse, violence leading cause of PTSD – expert

PHYSICAL abuse at the hands of an intimate partner is the most common form of violence experienced by South African women, the SA Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) has found.

According to the Sasop findings released yesterday, rape at the hands of an intimate partner is also a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for women, with farreaching impact on virtually all aspects of their lives.

With 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, running until Tuesday, Sasop has highlighted the long-term effects of the trauma of genderbased and domestic violence on survivors’ mental health and ability to function.

South African women who suffer PTSD as a result of rape or physical assault by their partners often never fully recover, said Professor Ugasvaree Subramaney, Sasop member and academic head of the department of psychiatry at Wits University.

“Nightmares, flashbacks, sleep difficulties, outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating and emotional numbness that characterise PTSD can have a crippling effect on the sufferer’s social functioning, their work and family life, education and physical health, as well as having costs in terms of lost income and medical care, even long after a woman has escaped an abusive situation,” she said.

Subramaney said twice as many women as men will experience PTSD during their lifetimes, even though men have greater exposure to trauma.

PTSD sufferers are 80% more likely than those without PTSD to develop other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse, and PTSD is also associated with physical illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, stomach ulcers and hypertension.

Without treatment, the symptoms of PTSD can continue for years, especially where victims have continued exposure to the traumatic situation, such as having to live with the perpetrator or going through a drawnout court case.

They can also develop health issues.