A cry from the darkness: women with severe mental illness in India reveal their experiences with sexual coercion

Psychiatry. 2003 Winter;66(4):323-34. doi: 10.1521/psyc.66.4.323.25446.

Abstract

THIS STUDY used qualitative research methods to investigate the problem of sexual coercion among female psychiatric patients in India. Consecutive female admissions (n = 146) to the inpatient unit of a psychiatric hospital in southern India were screened regarding coercive sexual experiences. Women who reported coercion (n = 50; 34%) participated in a semi-structured interview to learn more about their experiences. Among these women, 24 (48%) reported that the perpetrator was their spouse, 13 (26%) identified a friend or acquaintance, and 10 (20%) identified a relative such as an uncle or cousin. Most experiences occurred in the women's homes. Thirty of the 50 coerced women (60%) reported that they had not disclosed their experience to anyone, and that they had not sought help. Women revealed a sense of helplessness, fear, and secrecy related to their experiences. The problem of sexual coercion is seldom addressed in mental health care in India; the prevalence and severity of such experiences warrant immediate clinical attention and continued research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aggression / psychology
  • Bipolar Disorder / epidemiology
  • Bipolar Disorder / psychology*
  • Coercion*
  • Crime Victims / statistics & numerical data
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / epidemiology
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology*
  • Developing Countries*
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Teaching / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • India
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychotic Disorders / epidemiology
  • Psychotic Disorders / psychology*
  • Rape / psychology*
  • Rape / statistics & numerical data
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology*
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Sexual Behavior / psychology*
  • Sexual Behavior / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology
  • Spouse Abuse / statistics & numerical data