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Mental health
How disclosure of sexual violence affects mental health in older adults
  1. Megan R Holmes1,
  2. Wenxing Wei2
  1. 1Center on Trauma and Adversity, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  2. 2Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Megan R Holmes; megan.holmes2{at}case.edu

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2024-103996

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    Commentary on: Nobels A, Meersman C, Lemmens G, Keygnaert I. ‘Just something that happened?’: mental health impact of disclosure and framing of sexual violence in older victims. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2023;38. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.6036.

    Implications for practice and research

    • Healthcare professionals need training to provide supportive and effective responses to disclosures of sexual violence in older adults.

    • Further studies should explore the impact of positive responses to disclosures on the mental health outcomes of older victims.

    Context

    Sexual violence (SV) remains a critical issue affecting mental health globally, defined as coerced sexual acts, unwanted advances or trafficking. Research indicates that an estimated 81% of women and 48% of men in Belgium have experienced SV in their lifetime.1 Actual rates might be higher among older adults due to under-reporting.2 While extensive research focuses on younger victims, …

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    Footnotes

    • X @DrMeganHolmes

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.