The effects of stalking on psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists.: Prevalence of stalking and its emotional impact

Stalking in the psychiatric context describes a pathological behaviour which is characterized by repeated persecution, harassment, or menacing of or assault on a person. Because of the association between stalking and mental disorders, psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists belong to particularly exposed professions. If they fall victim to stalking during their career, disruptive impacts up to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be the consequence. A total of 117 psychiatrists, psychologists or psychotherapists in Graz participated in an anonymous interview. To register possible experiences with stalking defined behaviour, a modified version of the questionnaire of Kamleiter was used. The prevalence and severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms were determined using the Impact of Event Scale of Horowitz. The study showed an incidence of stalking of 38.5%. The rate of female stalkers (60%) was extraordinary high. Most victims (68.9%) experienced non-violent threats. Most of the offenders (41.9%) were diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia, schizotype and delusional disorders (F2) followed by disorders of adult personality and behaviour (F6) (30.2%). Some 44.4% of the victims developed symptoms of PTSD, which were usually only slight. The analyses suggest that stalking, in the psychiatric field of activity, is a common and serious phenomenon, and that strategies for the prevention and protection of potentially affected professions have to be developed.