{
  "abstract": "Background: Gender-based and sexual violence (GBSV) is a major public health concern among university students, yet the specific symptom architecture and central drivers of PTSD in this population remain under-researched. This study assessed PTSD severity and identified central symptoms among student victims of GBSV using network analysis.\n\nMethods: Participants (n = 563; 76.9% female; 18–30 years) were drawn from a prospective cohort launched in October 2024 at a French university. GBSV exposure (five types) and PTSD severity (PCL-5) were assessed at baseline (M0) and three-month follow-up (M3). Network analysis was conducted to identify central symptoms (closeness/strength centrality) and edge weights (links between symptoms) across different violence types.\n\nResults: At baseline, 51.7% of participants reported at least one GBSV incident since starting university. PCL-5 scores were significantly higher following sexual assault (36±21) and attempted rape /rape (44±19; p < 0.001). Network analysis identified “intense negative feelings” as the most central symptom for sexual assault, and “loss of interest” for attempted rape /rape. The strongest edge linked hypervigilance to exaggerated startle response in sexual assault victims, while internal and external avoidance were most strongly linked in rape victims. At M3, 30% of initial victims reported revictimization, showing significantly higher PTSD scores than first-time victims (26.4±18.3 vs. 17.8±16.9; p = 0.022).\n\nConclusions: Students exposed to GBSV carry a significant psychotraumatic burden, worsened by severity and repetition. Network analysis identifies specific symptom clusters that could guide targeted, symptom-specific psychotherapeutic interventions within university health services.\n\nKey messages: • PTSD severity among student victims of GBSV varies by violence type, with attempted rape or rape associated with the highest PCL-5 scores (44±19).\n\n• Network analysis reveals distinct central symptoms (e.g., loss of interest) by violence type, offering a roadmap for targeted, symptom-specific psychological support on university campuses.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "R Telfils"
    },
    {
      "name": "AC Bas"
    },
    {
      "name": "MP Tavolacci"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/42qpbdvj6szyq.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.826",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13699434/",
  "id": "42qpbdvj6szyq",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.826",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "5. Poster Walks"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
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    [
      "heading",
      "R.3. Poster Walk: Mental health services, wellbeing and social support"
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      "openalex",
      "3203|Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research"
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  "openalex": "W7223691176",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13699434/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13699434",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/42qpbdvj6szyq.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:03Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13699434",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.826"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:40Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13699434",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13699434"
    }
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Students Exposed to Sexual Violence: A Network Analysis",
  "title_text": "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Students Exposed to Sexual Violence: A Network Analysis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:36:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/42qpbdvj6szyq",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}