Sexual trauma and interest in mobile health among women with mental illness in Ghana

Abstract

Sexual violence against vulnerable populations is common worldwide. Many survivors of sexual assault experience long-term mental health difficulties. This study evaluated sexual violence exposure among women with mental illness in Ghana and examined their readiness to engage in mobile health interventions. We surveyed 200 women receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment at a large psychiatric hospital. Survey results indicated that 41.0 % reported having experienced sexual violence in the past. Over two-thirds of respondents had a high probability of PTSD (68.4 %) and these proportions were higher among those who experienced sexual violence (77.5 %). The majority were interested in mobile health resources that could provide them with support (73.2 %). Respondents' top topics of interest were information about managing stress and improving mood. The skill they were most interested in was relaxation. Video and audio content were rated as preferred intervention modalities. Most of the sample reported owning a mobile phone (86.4 %), with most being smartphones (76.1 %). Almost all respondents reported having access to electricity (99.5 %), a majority had a data plan (86.2 %), and all reported daily mobile phone use (100.0 %). Our findings suggest that there are significant unmet mental health needs among female survivors of sexual violence who are already receiving care in Ghana; most female survivors of sexual assault are open to using mobile health interventions; and most women with mental illness have access to the resources necessary for deployment of mobile interventions in their communities. Smartphone applications that leverage video and audio content may be particularly suitable for this context.