TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical Health and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
AU - Woods, Stephanie J.
AU - Hall, Rosalie J.
AU - Campbell, Jacquelyn C.
AU - Angott, Danielle M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by the National Institutes for Nursing Research and Child Health and Human Development (5 R01 NR009286). We would like to acknowledge the staff at The Battered Women's Shelter, Lori Huber, Barbara Huber, and Beverly Kelley for their contributions to the study. We also would like to acknowledge Annette Mitzel for her contributions to this manuscript.
PY - 2008/11
Y1 - 2008/11
N2 - This correlational-predictive study addresses the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including: 1) detailed physical health symptoms reported and health care sought by women in intimate abusive relationships, 2) relationships between physical health symptoms, IPV, and PTSD, and 3) unique predictors of physical health symptoms. An ethnically diverse sample of 157 abused women was recruited from crisis shelters and the community. The women averaged almost 34 years of age and had been in the abusive relationship for slightly more than 5 years. The women experienced physical health symptoms falling into 4 groups: neuromuscular, stress, sleep, and gynecologic symptoms. Women experiencing more severe IPV reported more physical health and PTSD symptomatology. PTSD avoidance and threats of violence or risk of homicide uniquely predicted physical health. More than 75% of the women had sought treatment from a health care professional in the previous 9 months. Implications for practice are discussed.
AB - This correlational-predictive study addresses the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including: 1) detailed physical health symptoms reported and health care sought by women in intimate abusive relationships, 2) relationships between physical health symptoms, IPV, and PTSD, and 3) unique predictors of physical health symptoms. An ethnically diverse sample of 157 abused women was recruited from crisis shelters and the community. The women averaged almost 34 years of age and had been in the abusive relationship for slightly more than 5 years. The women experienced physical health symptoms falling into 4 groups: neuromuscular, stress, sleep, and gynecologic symptoms. Women experiencing more severe IPV reported more physical health and PTSD symptomatology. PTSD avoidance and threats of violence or risk of homicide uniquely predicted physical health. More than 75% of the women had sought treatment from a health care professional in the previous 9 months. Implications for practice are discussed.
KW - domestic violence
KW - intimate partner violence
KW - posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - women's health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54549124686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=54549124686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jmwh.2008.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jmwh.2008.07.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 18984510
AN - SCOPUS:54549124686
SN - 1526-9523
VL - 53
SP - 538
EP - 546
JO - Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
JF - Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
IS - 6
ER -