What works for whom? Military sexual trauma vs. campus sexual assault survivors and the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches; a systematic review and comparison.

Abstract

There are few data comparing military sexual trauma (MST) to civilian sexual trauma; however, there is some anecdotal evidence that MST is unique and may be associated with different mental health outcomes. This may be attributed to the distinct characteristics of MST, including the environment in which the trauma takes place and traits of the perpetrator and the survivor; however, on closer inspection these characteristics are not inimitable and many parallels can be seen when compared with campus sexual assault. While there are studies on the effectiveness of specific interventions, there has not been a systematic review comparing the different interventions and their treatment efficacy on MST or campus sexual assault. Additionally, there have been no previous comparative analyses of treatment efficacy for MST versus campus sexual assault. With the high occurrence of sexual assault on female women in the military and on college campuses, knowing the method and effectiveness of treatment interventions is imperative. Survivors who seek help deserve a treatment conducive to the individual’s experience and presenting symptoms. This systematic review and comparative analysis looked to provide insight into what treatments provide the best efficacy within these two populations and offer some guidance on best practices for clinicians working with survivors of MST and/or campus sexual assault.