Peritraumatic tonic immobility and posttraumatic symptoms among LGBTQ+ versus straight cisgender female sexual assault survivors.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examined group differences in peritraumatic tonic immobility (TI) and posttraumatic symptoms among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) females and their straight, cisgender counterparts.

METHOD: Adult female sexual assault (SA) survivors (N = 86; 41.9% LGBTQ+) completed a questionnaire battery assessing demographics, TI experience, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, dissociative symptoms, and posttraumatic cognitions. Chi-square analyses, analyses of variance, and hierarchical linear regressions were used to characterize the associations among these variables.

RESULTS

Individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ endorsed higher rates and severity of TI as well as greater posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to their straight, cisgender counterparts. Both LGBTQ+ status and TI experience predicted greater posttraumatic stress symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that LGBTQ+ individuals who endorse TI during SA experience greater posttraumatic symptoms than their non-LGBTQ+ and non-TI counterparts. These findings have important implications for future research and treatment of female SA survivors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).