Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, PTSD, and Use of Mental Health Resources Among Ethnically Diverse Black Women

Abstract

This study examined exposure to violence and risk for lethality in intimate partner relationships as factors related to co-occurring MH problems and use of mental health (MH) resources among women of African descent. Black women with intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences (n = 431) were recruited from primary care, prenatal or family planning clinics in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Severity of IPV was significantly associated with co-occurring MH problems, but was not associated with the use of MH resources among African-American women. Risk for lethality and co-occurring problems were also not significantly related to the use of resources. African Caribbean women with severe physical abuse experiences were significantly less likely to use resources. In contrast, severity of physical abuse was positively associated with the use of resources among Black women with mixed ethnicity. Severe IPV experiences are risk factors for co-occurring MH problems, which in turn, increases the need for MH services. However, Black women may not seek help for MH problems. Thus, social work practitioners in health care settings must thoroughly assess women for their IPV experiences and develop tailored treatment plans that address their abuse histories and MH needs.

Keywords:

• depression
• PTSD
• mental health
• violence
• women

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (Grant# P20MD002286); National Institute on Drug Abuse K01DA031593 and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities L60MD003701 (support for Jamila K. Stockman); and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (T32-HDO64428; support for Bushra Sabri and Marguerite B. Lucea).