Mental health is another major damage after sexual assault. The long list of psychological problems caused by Anna Navarro, who 18 years ago was the victim of a multiple rape that she did not explain until a decade later, are common in cases of sexual assault. General malaise, depression or anxiety are some of the consequences of being a victim of rape. For this reason, experts ask victims to prioritize their health, including their mental health, so that the repercussions are as mild as possible.
"The psychological sequelae are relevant because sexual assaults are one of the traumas that have the most potential to injure", warns Lluïsa Garcia-Esteve, psychiatrist and president of the Commission on Intrafamilial and Gender Violence at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. A trauma that affects the central nervous system and affects everything, for this reason, explains the psychiatrist, it is important that the victim can identify as soon as possible that what has happened to him "could lead to a health problem of the first order of immediately and in the long term", as happened to Anna Navarro.
The long list of mental health consequences of sexual assault varies depending on the person and the situation experienced, but some of the most relevant consequences are anxiety, diffuse suffering, depression, general discomfort or difficulties with social relations There is also post-traumatic stress, which can worsen over the years. The victim's relationship with others is influenced by what happened and when she explains it, it may be exacerbated or that each piece of news revictimizes her, the doctor points out.
And if there are psychological sequelae in the majority of assaults, in group aggression they are even "more intense", because the victims live a situation of "terror" of great intensity in which their lives are threatened, explains the psychiatrist. In 2022, group sexual assaults at the Clinic accounted for 10% of the total: there were 63.
Responding to this problem, the Clinic has drawn up the document Self-help guide for women victims of recent sexual assault, which is given to all women who arrive at the hospital after suffering an episode of this nature. The guide contains the steps to follow to work towards recovery and details some of the symptoms that are common after a rape: fear and anxiety, feeling of unreality, living in a permanent state of alert, avoidance , sadness, guilt, shame, changes in the image and daily functioning, in addition to the risk of carrying out self-harming behaviors or alcohol abuse.
Garcia-Esteve also explains that when aggression occurs there is a need to "disconnect" from the situation. So, the girl who was studying leaves her studies, other women leave their jobs or even change cities, she describes. That is why he points out that the slogan must be: in the face of sexual assault, "health must be prioritized", which has been damaged.
These people must have specific follow-up to treat all these sequelae, because there are five times more suicide attempts in this group than in the rest of the population, he indicates. But he regrets that in many cases the victim ends up having to pay for more specialized treatments.
The psychiatrist points out the importance of reporting in order to arrest the rapist, but she regrets that "we have been obfuscated" in the reports and "we have not taken much care of the victims". Also that "due diligence" is not being done in cases of sexual assault.
It claims the importance of women who have suffered rape having follow-up like the one offered at the Clinic, as well as specific centers where the sequelae can be treated. "Something needs to be done and it calls out to all of society", warns Garcia-Esteve, who believes that this type of service is a way of "preventing silence".
