Vulnerability to intimate partner violence and poor mental health in the first 4-year postpartum among mothers reporting childhood abuse: an Australian pregnancy cohort study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can comprise physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and is a widespread public health concern. Despite increasing recognition that women experience different types of IPV, the majority of research has focused on physical IPV. The present study aims to examine associations between different types of IPV (physical, emotional, physical, and emotional) and women’s mental, physical, and sexual health by analyzing longitudinal data from a prospective pregnancy cohort of 1,507 first-time mothers in Melbourne, Australia. Questionnaires included validated measures of physical and mental health (Short Form Health Survey, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and IPV (Composite Abuse Scale). Emotional IPV alone was the most commonly reported type of IPV ( n = 128, 9.5%), followed by both physical and emotional IPV ( n = 76, 5.7%), and then physical IPV alone ( n = 30, 2.2%). Women reporting emotional IPV or physical and emotional IPV had increased odds of poor health compared with women reporting no IPV. Experience of physical and emotional IPV was most strongly associated with mental health issues, including depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.9, 7.1]) and self-reported anxiety (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI = [1.9, 4.4]). Experience of emotional IPV alone was associated with poor mental health as well as physical factors, including poor general physical health (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI = [1.2, 3.1]), and pain during sex (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI = [1.2, 2.7]). Increased odds of poor body image were also observed for women reporting emotional IPV alone and physical and emotional IPV. These findings highlight the need for greater awareness of the diversity in women’s experiences of IPV among health care providers. This includes understanding the prevalence of emotional IPV among new mothers, and the range of health problems that are more common for women experiencing IPV.

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Children’s language abilities at age 10 and exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood: Results of an Australian prospective pregnancy cohort study

Child Abuse & Neglect ◽

10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104794 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 104794

Author(s):

Laura J. Conway ◽

Fallon Cook ◽

Petrea Cahir ◽

Stephanie Brown ◽

Sheena Reilly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Language Abilities ◽

Pregnancy Cohort

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Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and the First Year Postpartum in an Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study

Maternal and Child Health Journal ◽

10.1007/s10995-010-0638-z ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 570-578 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

D. Gartland ◽

S. A. Hemphill ◽

K. Hegarty ◽

S. J. Brown

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

First Year ◽

Pregnancy Cohort ◽

Violence During Pregnancy

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Telling Medical Professionals About Victimization by Intimate Partner: Analysis of Women Surviving Intimate Partner Violence

International Journal of Health Services ◽

10.1177/0020731419896695 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 129-136

Author(s):

Tyrone C. Cheng ◽

Celia C. Lo

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Health Problems ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Medical Services ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Medical Professionals

This study investigated factors in women’s disclosure of intimate partner violence (IPV) to medical professionals. Its sample of 3,226 women surviving IPV was extracted from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey public-use dataset, dated 2010. The dichotomous outcome variable was told medical professional about IPV. Explanatory variables were physical violence experienced in the past year, need for medical services for IPV, injury, fear, poor physical health, number of health problems, poor mental health, African American, Latina, other ethnic minority, education, family income, inability to afford seeing doctor, age, and being married. Logistic regression results showed likelihood of IPV disclosure increased with 31 or more physical IPV episodes in preceding year, needed medical services for IPV, IPV-related injury, 2 or more health problems, fear of partner, poor mental health, inability to afford seeing doctor, and age 55 and over. Disclosure likelihood was decreased by other ethnic minority and absence of high school graduation. Our findings support standardized protocols identifying recent IPV, IPV injury, and multiple health problems, along with corresponding response training for medical professionals. Our findings also support making victim advocates and behavioral health specialists available in medical facilities to address patients’ fears and mental health.

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Homelessness, housing instability, intimate partner violence, mental health, and functioning: A multi-year cohort study of IPV survivors and their children

Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless ◽

10.1080/10530789.2016.1245258 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 86-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Heidi Gilroy ◽

Judith McFarlane ◽

John Maddoux ◽

Cris Sullivan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Housing Instability

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Physical and mental health of women exposed to intimate partner violence in the 10 years after having their first child: an Australian prospective cohort study of first-time mothers

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040891 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e040891

Author(s):

Stephanie J Brown ◽

Laura J Conway ◽

Kelly M FitzPatrick ◽

Kelsey Hegarty ◽

Fiona K Mensah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Functional Health ◽

Functional Health Status ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

First Child ◽

First Time

ObjectiveTo investigate mental and physical health of mothers exposed to recent and early postpartum intimate partner violence (IPV) in the 10 years after having their first child.DesignProspective pregnancy cohort study.SettingWomen were recruited at six metropolitan public maternity hospitals in Melbourne, Australia and followed up at 1, 4 and 10 years post partum.Study measuresExposure to physical and/or emotional IPV was measured using the Composite Abuse Scale at 1, 4 and 10 years. At 10-year follow-up, mothers reported on physical and mental health, and functional health status.Participants1507 first-time mothers enrolled at mean of 15 weeks’ gestation.ResultsOne in three women experienced IPV during the 10 years after having their first child. Women experiencing recent IPV (19.1%) reported worse physical and mental health than women not reporting IPV. Compared with women not reporting IPV, women experiencing recent IPV had higher odds of poor functional health status (Adj OR=4.5, 95% CI 3.2 to 6.3), back pain (Adj OR=2.0, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9), incontinence (Adj OR=1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.6), depressive symptoms (Adj OR=4.9, 95% CI 3.2 to 7.5), anxiety (Adj OR=5.1, 95% CI 3.0 to 8.6) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Adj OR=7.2, 95% CI 4.6 to 11.1) at 10 years. Women with past IPV at 1 and/or 4 years (15.7% of the cohort) also had higher odds of physical and mental health problems. There was evidence of a gradient in health outcomes by recency of exposure to IPV.ConclusionsBoth recent and past exposure to IPV are associated with poor maternal physical and mental health 10 years after a first birth. Health services and advocacy organisations providing support to women need to be aware of the consistent relationship between IPV and a range of physical and mental health conditions, which may persist even after IPV appears to have ceased.

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Experiences of Intimate Partner and Neighborhood Violence and Their Association With Mental Health in Pregnant Women

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260515613346 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 938-959 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Veronica Barcelona de Mendoza ◽

Emily W. Harville ◽

Jane Savage ◽

Gloria Giarratano

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Neighborhood Violence ◽

Probable Depression

Both intimate partner violence and neighborhood crime have been associated with worse mental health outcomes, but less is known about cumulative effects. This association was studied in a sample of pregnant women who were enrolled in a study of disaster exposure, prenatal care, and mental and physical health outcomes between 2010 and 2012. Women were interviewed about their exposure to intimate partner violence and perceptions of neighborhood safety, crime, and disorder. Main study outcomes included symptoms of poor mental health; including depression, pregnancy-specific anxiety (PA), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of mental health with adjustment for confounders. Women who experienced high levels of intimate partner violence and perceived neighborhood violence had increased odds of probable depression in individual models. Weighted high cumulative (intimate partner and neighborhood) experiences of violence were also associated with increased odds of having probable depression when compared with those with low violence. Weighed high cumulative violence was also associated with increased odds of PTSD. This study provides additional evidence that cumulative exposure to violence is associated with poorer mental health in pregnant women.

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