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A cross-sectional study of 555 medical students in Northern Vietnam found that exposure to sexual violence was strongly associated with increased psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Students exposed to contact sexual violence showed median PTSS scores of 30 compared to 11 among unexposed students, while psychological distress scores increased from 7 to 21. Overall, 21.26% of students reported non-contact sexual violence and 10.66% reported contact sexual violence in the past year, with both exposure types serving as independent predictors of mental health symptom severity regardless of student sex.
Why it matters
This research highlights a significant but understudied mental health burden among medical students in lower-resource settings and demonstrates that even non-contact sexual violence substantially impacts psychological wellbeing. The findings underscore the urgent need for trauma-informed mental health services and comprehensive intervention programs in medical education institutions, particularly in underserved regions where such support systems are often lacking.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Background: Medical students face significant mental health challenges, yet psychological distress and post-traumatic stress remain insufficiently characterized in lower-resource settings like Vietnam. Among potential stressors, sexual violence (SV) exposure represents a critical but understudied risk factor. This study evaluated the severity of psychological distress (PD) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among medical students in Northern Vietnam and examined their associations with past-year non-contact and contact SV exposure. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in May 2025 using REDCap among a probability sample of 555 medical students (years 2 to 5). Mental health outcomes were evaluated using validated instruments: the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) for past-week PD and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) for past-month PTSS. Past-year non-contact and contact SV exposures were measured using the Sexual Experiences Survey-Victimization (SES-V). Multivariable linear regression modeled adjusted associations between SV exposure types and mental health symptom severity, testing for sex-specific differences. Results: Overall mental health symptom scores escalated significantly with SV exposure. Median PTSS scores increased from 11 among unexposed students to 20 for non-contact SV and 30 for contact SV (p < 0.001). Similarly, median PD scores increased from 7 (unexposed) to 11.5 (non-contact SV) and 21 (contact SV) (p < 0.001). Adjusted linear models demonstrated robust associations where both non-contact and contact SV exposure were strong independent predictors of heightened PD and PTSS severity, with no significant moderation by sex. In terms of exposure prevalence, 21.26% of students reported non-contact SV (higher in females: 26.24% vs. males: 16.12%) and 10.66% reported contact SV. Conclusions: Vietnamese medical students exposed to sexual violence experience a heavy mental health burden marked by elevated psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms. To protect student mental health in lower resource settings, medical institutions must establish comprehensive trauma-informed psychological support, confidential counseling services, and targeted intervention strategies addressing both contact and non-contact stress exposures. Keywords: psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, non-contact sexual violence, contact sexual violence, university students, Vietnam