Contraceptive Use Among African Caribbean and African American Women With a History of Intimate Partner Violence

Mental health correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization including negative physical and mental health outcomes are well documented. However, certain subgroups of African American women, such as those living in impoverished, urban communities, are underrepresented in most studies and may experience IPV at higher rates. Furthermore, the circumstances of this women including poverty makes them at risk to IPV and its consequences. The present study estimated the prevalence of IPV victimization and its association with depression in a sample of low-income African American women participating in the Mobile Youth and Poverty Study. Participants in this study were caregivers of adolescents living in extremely impoverished conditions and were part of the Mobile Youth Survey, a community-based, longitudinal, multiple cohort survey conducted between the years 1998 and 2011. Data for the current study were collected between the years 2001 and 2010. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D). The independent variable was IPV measured using a subsample of items from the Conflict Tactics Scale. Nearly three quarters (73.6%, n = 489) of the sample experienced some form of IPV and 49.1% ( n = 326) had a CES-D depression score of 16 or greater indicating mild to severe depression symptoms. The highest proportion of women who met the CES-D criteria for depression were those experiencing the most severe IPV irrespective of category (i.e., physical, psychological, or combined). Logistic regression analyses showed that women reporting the most severe abuse, irrespective of category, were significantly more likely to meet the CES-D criteria for depression. In addition, low education and receipt of economic assistance were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The combination of poor economic conditions and IPV may predispose African American women living in impoverished, urban communities to mental health outcomes such as depression.

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Caught in the Crossroad: An Intersectional Examination of African American Women Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Help Seeking

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838021991303 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152483802199130

Author(s):

Bernadine Y. Waller ◽

Jalana Harris ◽

Camille R. Quinn

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

African American ◽

African American Women ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Critical Examination ◽

American Women

Objectives: African American women are disproportionately impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV)-related homicide. They reflect the second highest prevalence rates and experience the highest rates of murder resulting from IPV victimization. Although most survivors note that they have experienced rejection and anticipatory stigma as barriers to their help seeking, African American women additionally experience racism and racial discrimination as obstacles that may further preclude their help seeking. This systematic review highlights African American women’s experiences of rejection from providers and the effects that it may have upon their ability to secure urgent aid. Method: A dearth of literature examines the subtle ways that African American women survivors experience rejection resulting from the interlocking nature of race, class, and gender oppression. Fundamental to developing more culturally salient interventions is more fully understanding their help-seeking experiences. A systematic review was conducted to provide a critical examination of the literature to understand the intersections of IPV and help-seeking behavior among African American women. A total of 85 empirical studies were identified and 21 were included in the systematic review. The review illuminates both the formal and semiformal help-seeking pathways. Results: We recommend integrating anti-Blackness racist praxis, incorporating African American women’s ways of knowing and centralizing their needs in an effort to improve the health and well-being of this population. Conclusions: Eliminating barriers to more immediately accessing the domestic violence service provision system is key to enhance social work practice, policy, and research with African American female survivors of IPV.

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