Citation

Escribà-Agüir V, Ruiz-Perez I, Montero-Piñar MI, Vives-Cases C, Plazaola-Castano J, Martín-Baena D. Psychosom. Med. 2010; 72(4): 383-389.

Affiliation

Centre for Public Health Research, Valencia, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Publica, Barcelona, Spain; Andalusian School of Public Health, Granada, Spain; Department of Medicine (Psychiatry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, American Psychosomatic Society, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d2f0dd

PMID

20368480

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the effect of two kinds of intimate partner violence (IPV) (physical and psychological) in the previous 12 months (current) and before the previous 12 months (past) on psychological well-being among women aged 18 to 70 years who attend primary healthcare centers in Spain; and to analyze the effect of the duration of lifetime IPV and social support on psychological well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 10,322 women randomly recruited in primary healthcare centers in Spain. Outcome variables were three indicators of psychological well-being (psychological distress, psychotropic drug use, and self-perceived health). Predictor variables were the different types of IPV, IPV timing (current and past), duration of lifetime IPV, and social support. Logistic regression models were fitted. Results: Both types of IPV increased the probability of worse psychological well-being in both IPV timings (current and past). Longer duration of lifetime IPV, friends network size, and tangible support were independently associated with worse psychological well-being. However, an interaction between current IPV and family network size was found. The probability of poor self-perceived health status was reduced by 29% among women exposed to current IPV who had a large family network (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.94). Conclusions: Psychological well-being was independently affected by IPV (types and duration) and social support (friends network size, tangible support). Only family network size mitigates the negative consequences of IPV on self-perceived health status.

Language: en