Does Drugging Impact Mental Health? The Longitudinal Impact of Drugging Victimization on Depressive Symptoms

• In Event: Taking a Closer Look: Varying Perspectives on Drugging Victimization and Perpetration

Abstract

Although research on drugging (putting a drug in someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent) is nascent, early evidence indicates that being drugged can have significant negative consequences, including sexual assault, blacking out, and getting sick (Swan et al., 2016). Qualitative interviews with drugging victims also revealed other negative consequences, such as waking up in a strange place not knowing how they got there, and feeling profoundly disturbed about not knowing who drugged them, why they were drugged, or what happened to them while they were drugged. Some victims reported long term consequences, such as withdrawal from social activities they used to enjoy for fear of being drugged again. Given these kinds of consequences, it stands to reason that individuals who are drugged may be at risk of longer-term mental health difficulties, such as depression. However, no previous study has examined this question. Using longitudinal survey data with a sample of over 2,000 college students, results show that women drugged in year 1 were more likely to endorse depressive symptoms at year 2, even after controlling for depressive symptoms at year 1. However, men drugged in year 1 were not more likely to endorse depressive symptoms at year 2.

Authors

• Melek Yildiz Spinel, University of South Carolina

• Suzanne Swan, University of South Carolina

• Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati

• Nicole Lasky, Northeastern State University

• Leah Butler, University of Cincinnati