biostudies-literatureUnknown19(9)Wulfes NAround 200 million women and girls worldwide are affected by female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C is a procedure that harms or alters the external female genitals for non-medical reasons, and is usually performed on children. Often, this procedure leads to severe consequences for the women's physical and mental health. In a cross-sectional sample of 112 women seeking medical counseling, physical and mental health characteristics associated with FGM/C were examined and possible predictors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women affected by FGM/C were identified. A total of 55.4% (<i>n</i> = 66) of the women reported symptom levels of probable PTSD. Predictors for higher PTSD symptomology were an older age at the time of the FGM/C procedure, feelings of guilt and the centrality of the event in the woman's life. Thus, cognitive-emotional processing was found to play an important role in the emergence of PTSD in women suffering from FGM/C. However, interventions taking into consideration these characteristics are mostly lacking and need to be investigated further in the context of FGM/C.International journal of environmental research and public health4993https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9105982biostudies-literatureCognitive-Emotional Aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Female Genital Mutilation.PMC9105982Strunz CKrohl NWulfes NKroger Cvon Fritschen UScherer RfalseCognitive-Emotional Aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Context of Female Genital Mutilation.Around 200 million women and girls worldwide are affected by female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C is a procedure that harms or alters the external female genitals for non-medical reasons, and is usually performed on children. Often, this procedure leads to severe consequences for the women's physical and mental health. In a cross-sectional sample of 112 women seeking medical counseling, physical and mental health characteristics associated with FGM/C were examined and possible predictors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women affected by FGM/C were identified. A total of 55.4% (<i>n</i> = 66) of the women reported symptom levels of probable PTSD. Predictors for higher PTSD symptomology were an older age at the time of the FGM/C procedure, feelings of guilt and the centrality of the event in the woman's life. Thus, cognitive-emotional processing was found to play an important role in the emergence of PTSD in women suffering from FGM/C. However, interventions taking into consideration these characteristics are mostly lacking and need to be investigated further in the context of FGM/C.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-04-22T19:49:09.269Z2025-04-06T02:52:11.335ZS-EPMC91059823556438610.3390/ijerph19094993