Mental Health Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in El Salvador

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122097880
Author(s):  
Laura Navarro-Mantas ◽  
Soledad de Lemus ◽  
Jesús L. Megías

Violence against women (VAW) is currently one of the main problems in El Salvador, which leads the ranking of femicides in the world. We conducted the first national survey on VAW in El Salvador following the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology, to determine the impact of violence on women’s mental health ( N = 1,274). Women who had experienced intimate partner violence showed significantly poorer mental health and more suicidal ideations. Common mental disorders were significantly associated with the experience of all forms of violence, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and stressful life experiences. The results are discussed in connection with the primary care protocols and the design of public policies.

Author(s):  
Butool Hisam ◽  
Mohammad Nadir Haider ◽  
Ghazala Saleem ◽  
Admin

We are observing with great concern the global spread of the COVID19 Pandemic. What is equally alarming is a less visible, albeit serious Public health issue; one that the United Nations has dubbed as the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ [1]. This is none other than the globally prevalent issue of violence against women, particularly Intimate Partner Violence. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious, possibly preventable public health problem globally. Pakistan ranks among the countries with the highest IPV rates [2]. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the highly infectious and lethal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) to be a pandemic [3]. Drastic measures were enforced universally to curb the spread of COVID-19. Countries issued strict nationwide lockdowns to isolate the population and implemented social distancing. The economy was impacted tremendously, and many people experienced financial and emotional hardship during this mandatory confinement. While everyone was affected, one population was in a far worse situation than others. Survivors of IPV were trapped alongside their perpetrators and faced difficulty/less freedom to escape threatening situations compared to the past. It is not surprising given that historical periods of uncertainty such as war or economic crisis have resulted in increased interpersonal violence, including violence against women [4].  The Hubei province of China, the first region to undergo a lockdown, saw nearly a doubling of their rates of IPV with the start of COVID19 Pandemic.  Similarly, tragic stories gained nationwide coverage in the United States. IPV may also have risen in Pakistan, even if it is not being covered as extensively. During pandemics, fear causes us to minimize our personal needs and make sacrifices we would not normally make. This could be a reasonable approach for most but should not be for survivors of IPV. IPV survivors live in constant fear for themselves and their children; they are now devoid of their only means of mitigation; avoidance. Local woman’s support groups in Pakistan should act and spread awareness about this grim reality hiding underneath the Pandemic. Resources/funding should be made available for survivors to be able to reach out for support without having to leave the watchful eyes of their perpetrators. Public health officials ought to investigate and document the rise in IPV to help identify the leading causes of the increase. These steps will assist in developing crisis-specific guidelines to provide adequate resources for the future. Continuous....


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany E. Hayes

Despite progress in the application of routine activity theory to violence against women, much remains unknown about guardianship. The current study examined if presence of a capable adult guardian limited the risk of revictimization by an intimate partner, controlling for social support ( N = 497). Analyses tested differential impacts of guardians by examining if the presence of the victim’s friends/family, abuser’s friends/family, and/or bystander during the earliest reported physical abuse incident or threat of abuse affected likelihood of revictimization within a year. Odds of revictimization decreased by 60% when the earliest reported physical abuse incident or threat of abuse occurred in the presence of the respondent’s friends/family. Implications for practices and research suggestions are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Yuen-Ha Wong ◽  
Daniel Yee-Tak Fong ◽  
Anna Wai-Man Choi ◽  
Agnes Tiwari ◽  
Ko Ling Chan ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Catherine L Ward ◽  
Chandré Gould ◽  
Jane Kelly ◽  
Katya Mauff

Parenting has a considerable impact on children’s behaviour and mental health. Improving child health and behaviour requires an understanding of the relationship between parenting practices; contexual factors such asparental mental health, intimate partner violence, substance abuse and poverty; and children’s behaviour. In this article the authors report the findings of a survey of parenting and child behaviour in a small rural South Africancommunity. The findings show that corporal punishment, the stress of parenting and parental mental health are significantly associated with both children’s internalising (depression and anxiety) and externalising (rulebreakingand aggression) symptoms. Intimate partner violence in the home was also associated with children’s externalising symptoms. These findings imply that parent support and training, and an increase in services to address intimate partner violence and mental health problems, should be prioritised as part of a nationalviolence reduction strategy.


Author(s):  
Lucy C Potter ◽  
Richard Morris ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty ◽  
Claudia García-Moreno ◽  
Gene Feder

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) damages health and is costly to families and society. Individuals experience different forms and combinations of IPV; better understanding of the respective health effects of these can help develop differentiated responses. This study explores the associations of different categories of IPV on women’s mental and physical health. Methods Using data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, multilevel mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to analyse associations between categories of abuse (physical IPV alone, psychological IPV alone, sexual IPV alone, combined physical and psychological IPV, and combined sexual with psychological and/or physical IPV) with measures of physical and mental health, including self-reported symptoms, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and nights in hospital. Results Countries varied in prevalence of different categories of IPV. All categories of IPV were associated with poorer health outcomes; the two combined abuse categories were the most damaging. The most common category was combined abuse involving sexual IPV, which was associated with the poorest health [attempted suicide: odds ratio (OR): 10.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.37-13.89, thoughts of suicide: 8.47, 7.03-10.02, memory loss: 2.93, 2.41-3.56]. Combined psychological and physical IPV was associated with the next poorest outcomes (attempted suicide: 5.67, 4.23-7.60, thoughts of suicide: 4.41, 3.63-5.37, memory loss: 2.33, 1.88-2.87-). Conclusions Understanding the prevalence and health impact of different forms and categories of IPV is crucial to risk assessment, tailoring responses to individuals and planning services. Previous analyses that focused on singular forms of IPV likely underestimated the more harmful impacts of combined forms of abuse.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 707-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Martinez-Torteya ◽  
G. Anne Bogat ◽  
Alexander von Eye ◽  
Alytia A. Levendosky ◽  
William S. Davidson

Intimate partner violence (IPV) increases risk for depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Most studies use a dose–response approach to examine the impact of IPV on mental health, but they often fail to explain mental health outcome specificity as well as to assess the impact of women’s subjective appraisals. The present research examined women’s IPV stressfulness appraisals and their psychological functioning (depressive and PTSD symptoms). Results indicate that IPV stressfulness appraisals are associated with depressive symptoms over and above frequency and severity of IPV. PTSD symptoms were associated with frequent and stressful IPV. Women who experienced highly frequent and highly stressful IPV were most likely to display comorbid depressive and PTSD symptoms. Results underscore the importance of women’s subjective experiences and the heterogeneity of women’s responses to IPV.


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