The Importance of Mental Health Awareness
The after effects of sexual assault can have heavy impacts on its victims, often leaving a mark difficult to forget. It plays a significant role in affecting a victim’s short-term and long-term mental health. The impacts that sexual assault can have on an individual include:
- Feelings of shame
- Shock
- Feelings of guilt
- Isolation
Individuals who have been victims of sexual assault are at a higher risk of developing:
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Depression
- Substance Use Disorders
- Eating Disorders
Since sexual trauma can have serious negative effects on a victim’s mental health, it is important that sexual assault hotlines and services address this trauma universally experienced by these victims.
Additional mental health resources can be found here.
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Contributed By: Meggie Vo
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