Partner violence and psychological well-being: buffer or indirect effect of social support.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Escribà-Agüir
Vicenta
V
Centre for Public Health Research, Avda Catalunya 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain. escriba_vic@gva.es
Ruiz-Pérez
Isabel
I
Montero-Piñar
María Isabel
MI
Vives-Cases
Carmen
C
Plazaola-Castaño
Juncal
J
Martín-Baena
David
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data