Silent Screams: Psychological Impact of Sexual Harassment Leading to PTSD

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-966-7_23How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sexual harassment; Sexual Assault; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; PTSD; Psychiatry; Case report; Mental health; Trauma survivors

Abstract

Sexual harassment and assault are deeply traumatic experiences that can result in lasting psychological impacts, including the possible development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This article presents a case study of a 22-year-old woman who experienced sexual harassment within her local community and subsequently exhibited symptoms characteristic of PTSD. The patient reported experiencing intense anxiety, particularly in crowded environments, a strong fear of encountering men, a sense of emotional detachment from her surroundings, and avoidance of situations that reminded her of the traumatic event. These symptoms emerged within several weeks following the incident and progressively disrupted both her social interactions and professional life. Clinical assessment confirmed that her symptomatology met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD as outlined in the DSM-5, significantly impairing her quality of life and daily functioning. This case also examines the psychological mechanisms associated with PTSD following sexual trauma, including heightened anxiety, sleep disturbances, and persistent feelings of entrapment. Moreover, it underscores the diagnostic and therapeutic complexities involved in addressing mental health conditions stemming from sexual abuse, which often involve intricate emotional and social dynamics. The patient underwent a treatment regimen that combined trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with pharmacological intervention, resulting in notable symptom improvement. This case highlights the critical need for trauma-informed care in psychiatric settings, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing the emotional and psychological needs of survivors of sexual violence. It also calls for greater public awareness and improved community support to provide survivors with proper mental health care.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Wini Listi Arini Rambe
AU  - Cindy Chias Arthy
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/25
TI  - Silent Screams: Psychological Impact of Sexual Harassment Leading to PTSD
BT  - Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Neuroscience, Neurology, and Psychiatry 2025 (ICONAP 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 155
EP  - 160
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-966-7_23
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-966-7_23
ID  - Rambe2025
ER  -