Citation

Lipsky S, Field CA, Caetano R, Larkin GL. Violence Vict. 2005; 20(6): 645-659.

Affiliation

Dallas Regional Campus, University of Texas Houston School of Public Health, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.112, Dallas, TX 75390-9128, USA. sherry.lipsky@utsouthwestern.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Springer Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16468443

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) as is comorbid depression. Comorbid depression may exacerbate PTSD severity and chronicity. This study sampled female IPV victims from an urban emergency department to assess the relationship between PTSD symptomatology in the previous 12 months and current depressive symptomatology and to evaluate independent predictors of PTSD symptomatology. Half of respondents had symptoms consistent with PTSD. Those with PTSD symptomatology had significantly higher mean total depression scores and mean scores on 3 of 4 depression subscales than those without PTSD. Depressive symptomatology, being married, sexual IPV, severity of physical IPV, and partner's consumption of 5 or more alcoholic drinks per occasion at least once a month independently predicted PTSD symptomatology. Our findings underscore the important roles these factors play in IPV-related PTSD and the need for prompt identification and intervention of those at risk.

Language: en