Post-Intervention Cortisol Level in Victims-Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Living in Transition-Housing

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is devastating women worldwide, contributing to being incarcerated or re-entering society as previously-incarcerated women. The Music and Account-Making Behavioral -Related Adaptation (MAMBRA) Intervention positively impacts incarcerated victims-survivors of IPV as demonstrated by decreased cortisol levels. However, cortisol changes have not been reported for previously-incarcerated victims-survivors of IPV living in low-income community transition-housing. Thus, this brief report focuses on cortisol changes for these victims-survivors after four sessions of MAMBRA Intervention.Methods: With an exploratory descriptive design, a sample (n=11) was recruited from a Midwestern transition-housing for previously-incarcerated women victims-survivors of IPV. Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA) measured physical and nonphysical abuse. MAMBRA was administered over four sessions. Salivary cortisol was collected before and after each session. Data were analyzed with descriptive and univariate statistics.Participants were middle aged (0 AGE =44.6±10.6), White women (n=10, 91%) who have experienced physical abuse (0 ISA-P =48.9±19) and nonphysical abuse (0 ISA-NP =55.7±24). Cortisol levels differed (FTχ 2 (df=7)=24.5, p<.00) and decreased over the four MAMBRA sessions. Conclusion:Cortisol changes indicated a physiological reaction to MAMBRA by the participants. This finding indicates that MAMBRA may be a useful intervention for this vulnerable population of victimssurvivors of IPV. Future studies need to executed to examine MAMBRA longitudinally.