[Coping skills and social support in German long-time survivors of rape in the end of World War II].

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to document perceived social support in a sample of German war-raped women in World War II. Furthermore the impact of this potential resource on today's posttraumatic symptoms should be pointed out.

METHODS

27 women (M = 80.3 years, SD = 3.1 years) answered each a semi-structured interview and several questionnaires.

RESULTS

Perceived social support shows clearly lower values than in the comparative samples. The measured degree of the variable in the present sample bears negative relationship to the actual posttraumatic symptoms of the women.

CONCLUSIONS

In World War II sexually traumatized women could profit only few from the examined resource. The found negative relationship between perceived social support and posttraumatic symptoms shows additionally the potentially long-lasting impact of these form of coping on psychological health in trauma victims.