title: Intimate Partner Violence and Depression Among Latin American Women in Toronto.
abstract: Research from the United States suggests that Latin American immigrant and refugee women are one of the groups most greatly impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated mental health consequences including higher rates of depression than women from other ethno-racial groups. In Canada, little is known about the experience of IPV and mental health among this population. Even in the broader North American context, how Latin American women themselves perceive the connection between IPV and depression is unknown. This paper presents the findings of a pilot study that examined the perceived relationship between IPV and depression among Spanish-Speaking Latin American Women in Toronto, Canada. The theoretical framework guiding this qualitative study combined an ecological model for understanding gender based violence and mental health with critical intersectionality theory. Using a convenience and snowball sampling method, semi-structured interviews (n = 12) were conducted and thematic content analysis was completed supported by Nvivo9(®) qualitative data management software. All participants had experienced some form of IPV in their adult lives, with psychological violence being the most common. Women perceived a powerful connection between IPV and depression, a link made stronger by the accumulation of other adverse life experiences including childhood abuse, war traumas and migration. The results suggest that IPV is just one of the challenges experienced by Latin American refugee and immigrant women. IPV is experienced in the context of other traumatic experiences and social hardships that may work to intensify the association of IPV and depression in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada. paula_godoy@hotmail.com.|Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada. paula_godoy@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godoy-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Toner
authors.affiliation: Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Kwame
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002489:Central America / Q000208:ethnology; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Domestic violence; Immigrants; Latin Americans; Mental health; Refugees; Social determinants