The Indirect Associations Between Ambivalent Sexism and Health Outcomes Through Post-Trauma Cognitions in Women Stalking Survivors

Abstract

Given the prevalence of stalking and subsequent health impacts, it should be of high priority for researchers to identify mechanisms associated with stalking health outcomes. The present study was an online survey of 236 cisgender women (M age = 39.43, SD = 11.80; 74.6% heterosexual; 72.0% white) who had experienced stalking. The participants completed measures of stalking victimization, ambivalent sexism, post-trauma cognitions, and symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and physical health. The indirect associations between benevolent sexism and all three health outcomes via negative cognitions about the world and self were statistically significant. Although the present study provided preliminary evidence that may inform interventions to better support stalking survivors, numerous methodological limitations (e.g., cross-sectional design, homogenous sample) limit the internal and external validity of the results.

Keywords

depression posttraumatic stress disorder physical health self-blame

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