Depression and intimate partner violence among urban Kenyan caregivers of children with disabilities

Abstract

Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject? Caregivers of children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing interpersonal violence and its consequences; however, there is limited research targeting this population. This problem is understudied in Sub‐Saharan Africa. What this paper adds to existing knowledge? Study examines intimate partner violence and depression among men and women caregivers of children with disabilities. Study findings showed that while a higher proportion of women caregivers of children with disabilities than men reported experiencing intimate partner violence and were at increased risk depression, the differences were not statistically significant. Participants reporting any form of violence (i.e. psychological aggression or physical assault) were at increased risk for depression, with those experiencing a combination of physical assault and psychological aggression having the highest risk for depression. What are the implications for practice? Professionals working families of individuals with disabilities should be cognizant of the added stress and comorbid factors associated with caring for a child with a disability. Future research should examine whether there is a causal relationship between intimate partner violence and depression among caregivers of children with disabilities and compare this relationship with the general population. AbstractIntroductionMental health correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are well documented. However, caregivers of children with disabilities (CCWDs) are underrepresented in empirical investigations and may have an increased risk of experiencing IPV and its consequences. This is particularly important in Sub‐Saharan Africa where this problem is understudied.MethodThe present study estimated the prevalence of IPV victimization and examined the association between IPV and depression in a sample of CCWDs living in Nairobi, Kenya.ResultsNearly half (49.8%) of the participants experienced some form of IPV and more than half (51.8%) were at risk of depression. Participants reporting psychological and physical violence were 1.76 and 4.81 times more likely to be at risk for depression, respectively. Those experiencing a combination of physical and psychological violence were 4.85 times more likely to be at risk for depression.DiscussionBoth men and women CCWDs are at an increased risk for IPV and depression. Social–cultural factors are also important in the prediction of depression risk and should be taken into account when working with CCWDs.ImplicationsMental health professionals should be cognizant of the added stress of being a CCWD, and the link between CCWDs and comorbid mental health outcomes.

Family-Focused Nursing Research in WHO Afro-Region Member States: A Scoping Review

“…In addition, compared with family nursing research in Finland, where family violence studies rank high as a focus area (Åstedt-Kurki, 2010), and interestingly counter to sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) high violence prevalence (Cools et al., 2005), there were only a scarce number of studies on family violence and abuse (Mugoya et al., 2020; Van Wijk et al., 2014). However, on the opposite side of the pendulum of violence, the classic African philosophy of Ubuntu encompassing compassion and humanity rooted in their beliefs, cultural influences and relationships, was only explored through three studies (Kahonde et al., 2019; Leuning et al., 2000; Temane et al., 2019).…”

Association of Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence With Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Early Childhood Socioemotional Development Among Mothers and Children in Rural Tanzania

“…review noted that children exposed to IPV had a high prevalence of depressive symptoms, insecurity, and posttraumatic stress disorder, followed by adjustment/behavior problems and aggression, and declining academic performance. 33 Considering the potential mediation observed in this study, unexplored mother interpersonal and/or contextual factors within maternal depression and IPV should be explored in determining child socioemotional development. We also found that maternal mild to severe depressive symptoms were associated with lower child socioemotional development scores adjusted for maternal IPV.…”

The Initial Economic Burden of Femur Fractures on Informal Caregivers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

“…Since these injuries predominate in low-resource environments where there is minimal road traffic safety, patients who sustain femur fractures can incur tremendous financial burden-as much as 88% of their pre-injury income 6 . While studies have examined the effect of treatment cost on patients and the costs of providing long-term care for chronic patients [7][8][9][10] , such as children with a disability 11,12 or the elderly, there is no literature on the burden of in-hospital informal caregivers who care for adults who had served as the primary household income earner up until their injury.…”