**1. Introduction**

Rape is an illegal act typically involving sexual intercourse performed forcibly or threatened by bodily harm against the survivors' will [1]. Rape is a public health concern affecting everyone worldwide, but South Africa is known as the country reporting a high prevalence of rape. South Africa reported about 10,006 cases from 2020 to 2021 [2]. Rape has many effects. It predisposes rape survivors to contract human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), pregnancy, physical injuries, and mental health disorders [3]. Despite this, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and depression are the commonest mental health disorders [4, 5]. PTSD is defined as a set of four clusters of symptoms that include intrusive and recurring memories of the trauma, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, numbing and/or unfavorable changes in mood or cognitions related to the trauma, and changes in reactivity and arousal [6]. Depression is a negative affective state characterized by feelings ranging from unhappiness and discontent to extreme sadness, pessimism, and hopelessness that interfere with daily life. Various physical, cognitive, and social changes, such as altered eating or sleeping habits, lack of energy or motivation, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and withdrawal from social activities, are also common [6].

The preferred non-pharmacological treatment given among rape survivors diagnosed with PTSD and depression includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), family therapy, and exposure therapy (ET) [7, 8]. In South Africa, a model of post-sexual assault care has been integrated into the public health system, with dedicated sexual assault centers in major urban towns. The care model is based on intersectoral collaboration, with a collaboration between medical personnel, police, and social support services [9]. Standard of care at these facilities currently includes forensic medical examination, HIV testing with pretest and posttest counseling, pregnancy testing and emergency contraception, STD treatment, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and trauma debriefing [9]. However, the mental health care needs of rape survivors are not met in these services. Often they are not even referred to specialized services [10, 11]. In addition, many people who have PTSD are hesitant to seek treatment in specialized mental health care settings [12]. Therefore, there is a need to develop a strategy that can be used to cater to the mental health needs of rape survivors.

In South Africa, the decentralization and integration of the management of rape survivors diagnosed with PTSD and depression into primary health care settings must be considered to cater for their mental health care needs. One reason is that there are far too few mental health care practitioners, particularly in the public health sector (which serves 80% of the population) and particularly in rural areas [13]. Primary care is a logical setting to target early and management efforts of PTSD and depression because: (1) it facilitates the early identification of patients who require treatment; (2) most mental health services are delivered through primary care [8], so primary care provides greater access, and thus broader population coverage, than treatment delivered exclusively in specialized care populations; and (3) mental health care delivered in a primary care context may constitute a more acceptable treatment option [12].

Professional nurses are frontline workers, making up the largest number within the health care system [14] and mainly in primary health care. Professional nurses are doing mental health nursing in undergraduates. Some further their studies in advanced postgraduate mental health nursing qualifications. Those that completed their undergraduate 4-year diploma and a degree in nursing [15] and postgraduate nursing are registered with the South African Nursing Council to render care to patients [16]. Therefore, nurses need to integrate follow-up care of rape survivors for assessment and management of PTSD and depression in primary health care settings *Perspective Chapter: Integrating Follow-up Care Management for Assessment and Management… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107499*

through task shifting. In this chapter, the authors described the mental health status of rape survivors diagnosed with PTSD and depression in South Africa. The skills and training of nurses in mental health nursing are described in this chapter. The importance of task-shifting mental health care for rape survivors diagnosed with PTSD and depression among nurses is described in this chapter.
