Psychopathological sequelae of female genital mutilation and their neuroendocrinological associations (2018)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding I,II,III FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Köbach,A.,Ruf-Leuschner,M. & Elbert,T.
FGM/C Type(s): I,II,III
Health area of focus: Mental health.
Objective: The study provided preliminary,high-quality psychodiagnostic data on potential psychopathological consequences of FGM,with a focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),shutdown dissociation and other stress-related variables.
Study Population: Women
Findings: The majority of women were subjected to FGM (FGM I: 36%,FGM II/III: 52%),and regardless of the amount of physical invasiveness,nearly all women reported feeling extreme dread and/or powerlessness. FGM II/III,the more intrusive variant,was related with increased susceptibility to PTSD symptoms and shutdown dissociation (p< .001) Depression (p< .05) and anxiety (p< .01) symptoms were also higher. Cortisol levels were found to be altered in relation to the age at which FGM was performed ( 1 year) and the invasiveness of the procedure,as revealed by random forest regression with conditional inference trees. More extensive forms of female genital mutilation are associated with more severe psychopathological symptoms,namely an increased susceptibility to PTSD. Higher cortisol levels in the hair of women who underwent FGM before their first birthday or who underwent more severe forms of FGM indicate neuroendocrinological effects of FGM and trauma in general on the stress system. Evidence-based trauma interventions have been developed,and in the next step must be scaled up along with integral treatment approaches to mitigate the negative consequences of FGM.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Eastern Africa
Country(ies):Ethiopia