title: Intimate partner violence and depressive symptoms before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after infant delivery: an exploratory study.
abstract: Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy also tend to experience depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, little is known about how victimized women's levels of depressive symptoms change longitudinally before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after infant delivery. In addition, few studies have used a comparison group of women to determine if levels of depressive symptoms among victimized women differ from depressive symptom levels in women who have not experienced IPV. To help address these knowledge gaps, we examined longitudinal trends in levels of depressive symptoms among a sample of 76 women who did (n = 33) and did not (n = 43) experience physical IPV during pregnancy. Using multilevel analysis, we estimated the relationship of physical IPV victimization and women's depressive symptom levels across six time periods: (a) the year before pregnancy, (b) first and second trimesters, (c) third trimester, (d) the first month postpartum, (e) Months 2 to 6 postpartum, and (f) Months 7 to 12 postpartum. Women who experienced physical IPV victimization during pregnancy had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms during each time period (p < .05). No significant difference between the two groups was found in the rate of change in levels of depressive symptoms over time. These findings point to the importance of screening for IPV within health care settings and suggest that women physically abused during pregnancy need safety interventions that are coordinated with interventions targeting symptoms of depression.
authors: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 325 Pittsboro St., CB #3550, Durham, NC 27713, USA. jnwabuzo@usc.edu
authors: Ijeoma Nwabuzor
authors: IN
authors: Ogbonnaya
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Macy
authors: Lawrence L
authors: LL
authors: Kupper
authors: Sandra L
authors: SL
authors: Martin
authors: Sarah E
authors: SE
authors: Bledsoe-Mansori
mesh_terms: D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012747:Sexual Partners
keywords: battered women; children exposed to domestic violence; domestic violence; mental health and violence