Interpersonal violence and women's psychological well-being.
BACKGROUND
The health impact of violence against women by perpetrators other than intimate partners has received little attention. This study aims to analyze the effect of different forms of interpersonal violence on women's health.


METHODS
Adult women (10,815) randomly sampled from primary healthcare services around Spain were included. Women were grouped as follows: (1) no history of violence, (2) history of intimate partner violence only (IPV), (3) history of non-IPV only, and (4) history of both IPV and non-IPV. Lifetime prevalence of violence by IPV, non-IPV, and both was calculated. Adjusted multivariable regression analysis was performed to assess the effects of the different forms of violence on women's health status.


RESULTS
Of the women, 32.7% experienced lifetime violence. Poor self-perceived health, psychological distress, co-occurring somatic complaints, and use of antidepressant or tranquilizer medication were significantly higher for women with a history of violence than for women with no history of violence. Women who reported both types of violence, IPV and non-IPV, were almost five times more likely to suffer psychological distress and co-occurring somatic complaints and > six times more likely to use medication than women with no history of violence.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of violence and its consistent association with a wide range of women's health problems suggest that violence seriously compromises women's health. Health providers should ask their female patients specifically about their history of violence, both IPV and non-IPV. Including this in patient's assessment would lead to more informed clinical decisions and more integrated care.
Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. isabel.montero@uv.es
Isabel
I
Montero
Vicenta
V
Escriba
Isabel
I
Ruiz-Perez
Carmen
C
Vives-Cases
David
D
Martín-Baena
Marta
M
Talavera
Juncal
J
Plazaola
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult