TY - JOUR
T1 - Intimate Partner Violence and Depressive Symptoms Before Pregnancy, During Pregnancy, and After Infant Delivery
T2 - An Exploratory Study
AU - Ogbonnaya, Ijeoma Nwabuzor
AU - Macy, Rebecca J.
AU - Kupper, Lawrence L.
AU - Martin, Sandra L.
AU - Bledsoe-Mansori, Sarah E.
PY - 2013/7
Y1 - 2013/7
N2 - Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy also tend to experience depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, little is known about how victimized women's levels of depressive symptoms change longitudinally before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after infant delivery. In addition, few studies have used a comparison group of women to determine if levels of depressive symptoms among victimized women differ from depressive symptom levels in women who have not experienced IPV. To help address these knowledge gaps, we examined longitudinal trends in levels of depressive symptoms among a sample of 76 women who did (n = 33) and did not (n = 43) experience physical IPV during pregnancy. Using multilevel analysis, we estimated the relationship of physical IPV victimization and women's depressive symptom levels across six time periods: (a) the year before pregnancy, (b) first and second trimesters, (c) third trimester, (d) the first month postpartum, (e) Months 2 to 6 postpartum, and (f) Months 7 to 12 postpartum. Women who experienced physical IPV victimization during pregnancy had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms during each time period (p<.05). No significant difference between the two groups was found in the rate of change in levels of depressive symptoms over time. These findings point to the importance of screening for IPV within health care settings and suggest that women physically abused during pregnancy need safety interventions that are coordinated with interventions targeting symptoms of depression.
AB - Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy also tend to experience depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, little is known about how victimized women's levels of depressive symptoms change longitudinally before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after infant delivery. In addition, few studies have used a comparison group of women to determine if levels of depressive symptoms among victimized women differ from depressive symptom levels in women who have not experienced IPV. To help address these knowledge gaps, we examined longitudinal trends in levels of depressive symptoms among a sample of 76 women who did (n = 33) and did not (n = 43) experience physical IPV during pregnancy. Using multilevel analysis, we estimated the relationship of physical IPV victimization and women's depressive symptom levels across six time periods: (a) the year before pregnancy, (b) first and second trimesters, (c) third trimester, (d) the first month postpartum, (e) Months 2 to 6 postpartum, and (f) Months 7 to 12 postpartum. Women who experienced physical IPV victimization during pregnancy had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms during each time period (p<.05). No significant difference between the two groups was found in the rate of change in levels of depressive symptoms over time. These findings point to the importance of screening for IPV within health care settings and suggest that women physically abused during pregnancy need safety interventions that are coordinated with interventions targeting symptoms of depression.
KW - battered women
KW - children exposed to domestic violence
KW - domestic violence
KW - mental health and violence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879221837&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/0886260512471080
DO - 10.1177/0886260512471080
M3 - Article
C2 - 23315708
AN - SCOPUS:84879221837
SN - 0886-2605
VL - 28
SP - 2112
EP - 2133
JO - Journal of interpersonal violence
JF - Journal of interpersonal violence
IS - 10
ER -