Impact of intimate partner violence on pregnant women's mental health: Mental distress and mental strength

The mental health consequences of living with intimate partner violence (IPV) are substantial. Despite the growing awareness of the incidence of depression and PTSD in women experiencing IPV, few studies have examined prospectively the experience of IPV during pregnancy and the impact of the abuse on women's mental health. As a component of a larger clinical trial of an intervention for pregnant abusedwomen, 27women participated in a qualitative study of their responses to the abuse in the context of pregnancy and parenting. Results indicate thatwomen's changing perceptions of self was related to mental distress, mental health, or both mental distress and mental health.