Lifetime prevalence and impact of stalking in a European population

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of community-based studies on prevalence rates of stalking and the impact of stalking on victims in European countries. AIMS: To examine lifetime and point prevalence rates of stalking, behavioural and psychological consequences for victims, and the impact of stalking on current psychological well-being in a German community sample. METHOD: A postal survey was conducted with a sample randomly selected from the population of a middle-sized German city; 679 people (400 women, 279 men) responded. The survey included a stalking questionnaire and the WHO-5 well-being scale. RESULTS: Almost 12% of the respondents (n=78, 68 women, 10 men) reported having been stalked. A multiple regression analysis revealed a significant effect of victimisation on psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a high lifetime prevalence of stalking in the community. Effects on victims' psychological health are significant, suggesting that the phenomenon deserves more attention in future community mental health research.