APA Dictionary of Psychology

rape-trauma syndrome

Updated on 04/19/2018
the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by an individual who has been sexually assaulted (the term was coined prior to the wide acceptance and use of the more inclusive concept of PTSD). The symptoms, which may include fear of being alone, phobic attitudes toward sex, vaginismus, erectile dysfunction, or repeated bathing, may persist for a year or more.
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