Effect of Type and Severity of Intimate Partner Violence on Women’s Health and Service Use

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has major affects on women's wellbeing. There has been limited investigation of the association between type and severity of IPV and health outcomes. This article describes socio-demographic characteristics, experiences of abuse, health, safety, and use of services in women enrolled in the Women's Evaluation of Abuse and Violence Care (WEAVE) project. We explored associations between type and severity of abuse and women's health, quality of life, and help seeking. Women (aged 16-50 years) attending 52 Australian general practices, reporting fear of partners in last 12 months were mailed a survey between June 2008 and May 2010. Response rate was 70.5% (272/386). In the last 12 months, one third (33.0%) experienced Severe Combined Abuse, 26.2% Physical and Emotional Abuse, 26.6% Emotional Abuse and/or Harassment only, 2.7% Physical Abuse only and 12.4% scored negative on the Composite Abuse Scale. A total of 31.6% of participants reported poor or fair health and 67.9% poor social support. In the last year, one third had seen a psychologist (36.6%) or had 5 or more general practitioner visits (34.3%); 14.7% contacted IPV services; and 24.4% had made a safety plan. Compared to other abuse groups, women with Severe Combined Abuse had poor quality of life and mental health, despite using more medications, counseling, and IPV services and were more likely to have days out of role because of emotional issues. In summary, women who were fearful of partners in the last year, have poor mental health and quality of life, attend health care services frequently, and domestic violence services infrequently. Those women experiencing severe combined physical, emotional, and sexual abuse have poorer quality of life and mental health than women experiencing other abuse types. Health practitioners should take a history of type and severity of abuse for women with mental health issues to assist access to appropriate specialist support.

Social Support and Employment Status Modify the Effect of Intimate Partner Violence on Depression Symptom Severity in Women: Results from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey

“…Our study also extends prior research to show how such interaction affects the severity of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated the association of depression with low social support among women exposed to IPV (Hegarty et al, 2013; Mburia-Mwalili et al, 2010). Our study extends the literature by strongly suggesting social support interacts with IPV exposure, and that even women with high social support are vulnerable to the effects of recent IPV.…”

Valoración psicológica en delitos de violencia de género mediante el Inventario Clínico y Multiaxial de Millon III (MCMI-III)

“…Estos resultados extienden trabajos previos en los que predomina sintomatología propia de un trastorno de ansiedad, distimia, somatización, depresión, desconfianza, suspicacia del entorno y estrés postraumático (Amor et al, 2002;Calvete et al, 2007;Davins, 2005;Hegarty et al, 2013;Labrador et al, 2010;Lacey et al, 2013;Sarasua et al, 2007). Asimismo, en las escalas de personalidad del MCMI-III aparece la puntuación media más elevada en el prototipo Compulsivo.…”

“…Entre los factores que predicen la aparición de sintomatología asociada al maltrato se encuentran la frecuencia, severidad y duración de la violencia vivida, interviniendo variables personales como la existencia de victimización previa, edad, estabilidad emocional, recursos psicológicos, apoyo social, etc. (Hegarty et al, 2013). De ahí la relevancia de considerar la influencia de diversas variables de análisis en el impacto psicológico de la violencia de pareja.…”

What do Australian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Abuse Want From Family and Friends?

“…The sample thus included women from all the different stages identified in the transtheoretic model of change or other readiness to change models (Burke, Mahoney, Gielen, McDonnell, & O'Campo, 2009;Chang, et al, 2006). The health of the women was poorer than that of women who did not screen positive for fear of a partner (Hegarty, et al, 2013a).…”