Relationship between negative social reactions to sexual assault disclosure and mental health outcomes of ethnically diverse female survivors

Negative social reactions that sexual assault survivors receive upon disclosure have been correlated with psychological distress such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and problem drinking. However, the impact of ethnicity in the relationship between unsupportive reactions to assault disclosure and the psychological sequelae remains unclear. Using hierarchical linear regressions and a sample of 665 African-American, Latina, and Caucasian female adult sexual assault survivors, the present study examined the role of ethnicity in that relationship. The results suggest that ethnicity moderates the influence of negative disclosure reactions on psychological symptoms, however, the moderation impact was not similar across races and psychological outcomes. With regard to posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, contrary to expectations, African-Americans were less impacted by negative reactions as compared to Caucasians. However, as predicted, more African-Americans and Latinas reported problem drinking upon receiving unsupportive responses than Caucasians