Intimate Partner Violence, Disability, and Pain: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

This study explores pain among female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) with disabilities. Women with disabilities are subject to higher rates of IPV than nondisabled women, and experience health problems related to abuse, including chronic pain. Resident records (N = 114) from a disability-focused domestic violence shelter were reviewed to examine relationships between demographic characteristics, histories of abuse, and pain characteristics including pain severity rating, pain's impact on daily functioning, and cause of pain. Results suggest that pain impacts the daily functioning of IPV survivors with disabilities. Close to 60% had a physical disability and almost half had a psychiatric diagnosis; residents were racially and ethnically diverse, with 41% identifying as Black and 40% Latinx. Residents, on average, rated their pain severity close to 5 (on a 0-10 scale; SD = 2.71), with half indicating that pain affecting their activities of daily living (50.0%). Residents reporting difficulty participating in life roles had significantly higher pain ratings than those who did not, as did those who reported that pain affected their daily functioning. The type of abuse experienced may also influence pain severity, and disability type is related to how pain impacts daily functioning. The study's findings underscore the need for trauma-sensitive approaches to pain management for IPV survivors with disabilities. Given the complex interrelationships between pain severity, physical and mental health, and abuse, an interdisciplinary approach to working with IPV survivors with disabilities is warranted.