Depressive symptoms and interpersonal victimization among African American women attending an urban STD clinic.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the association of depressive symptom levels and interpersonal victimization. The sample was comprised of 455 African American women attending an urban sexually transmitted disease clinic. Interpersonal victimization was defined as whether a woman was forced to have sexual intercourse and whether a woman was ever hit, slap or physically hurt by a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse in the past 12 months.


METHODS
Using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), women responded to questions regarding interpersonal victimization and depressive symptom levels (e.g., depression, sadness, loneliness and crying in the past week).


RESULTS
Results indicated that women with a history of interpersonal victimization were more likely to experience higher levels of depressive symptoms when compared with women who did not. Statistically significant differences were found for being forced to have sexual intercourse (all p's <0.0001) and ever being hit, slap or physically hurt by a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse in the past 12 months (p's range from 0.012 to 0.0003) with regard to each depressive symptom item.


CONCLUSIONS
Behavioral women-focused interventions need to address mental health issues associated with risky sexual behaviors in order to be more efficacious.
Williams
Makeda J
MJ
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. willimak@mail.nih.gov
Grimley
Diane M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health