Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is prevalent in the general US population, as well as the Latino community. In a cross-sectional study at an immigrant, primary care clinic, we assessed the correlation between IPV history and symptoms of MDD and PTSD in Latino women. We used a structured interview format. Among the 105 women recruited, the 4-week incidence of MDD was 45.7% and the prevalence of PTSD was 19%. Abused women had three times the odds of meeting PTSD criteria than non-abused women. Women meeting PTSD criteria were 10 times likelier to also report MDD. There was no difference in the incidence of MDD among women who reported IPV and those who did not. This study found a correlation of IPV with PTSD, and PTSD with MDD, but not IPV with MDD. Our results indicate a need for mental health interventions in primary care settings for Latina women regardless of IPV history.

During the last decade, a vast amount of research has been produced concerning the efficacy of different pharmacological and psychological treatments in psychiatry for various diagnoses. This movement towards evidence-based practices has aimed at grounding clinical practice in evidence derived from research, to optimize outcomes. Such developments should translate into the successful management of seriously mentally ill persons, allowing them to remain safely and productively in their communities rather than in more restrictive settings. Treatment regimens grounded in evidence are well behind the deinstitutionalization of mentally ill persons, which has sometimes even led to their reinstitutionalization in unfavorable settings (jails, nursing homes, etc.) and unsafe living conditions (shelters, streets).