Understanding recovery from sexual assault among sexual minority women.

Sexual Assault Recovery Among Sexual Minority Women: A Longitudinal, Multi-Level Study

NIH-funded research University of Washington · NIH-10991343

This study is looking at how sexual minority women who have experienced sexual assault recover and how things like community support and laws affect their mental health, with the goal of finding better ways to help them heal.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Washington NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Seattle, United States)
Project IDNIH-10991343 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the recovery experiences of sexual minority women (SMW) who have faced sexual assault, focusing particularly on the mental health impacts such as depression and PTSD. The study aims to explore how broader societal factors, like laws and community support, influence these women's recovery. Over a period of 2.5 years, 2400 SMW aged 18-35 will participate in surveys every six months to provide insights into their mental health and the climate of their communities. This approach will help identify effective interventions and inform policy changes to better support SMW in their recovery journey.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are sexual minority women aged 18-35, particularly those who have experienced sexual assault.

Not a fit: Patients who do not identify as sexual minority women or who are outside the age range of 18-35 may not receive benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved mental health support and interventions for sexual minority women recovering from sexual assault.

How similar studies have performed: While the minority stress model has been previously studied, this research is novel in its direct examination of climate-level factors affecting recovery among sexual minority women.

Where this research is happening

Seattle, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.