Epidemic of domestic violence affecting women physically and mentally

May 31 2006

The results of a newly published study has confirmed how widespread domestic violence is and its pervasive impact on women's physical and mental health.

The survey conducted by Dr. Robert S. Thompson, senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies from 2003 to 2005 says it has revealed a virtual epidemic of domestic violence.

The women all english-speaking, aged 18 to 64 years enrolled in a U.S. health maintenance organization for 3 or more years and it appears that of more than 3,400 women polled 44 percent had experienced intimate partner violence.

Dr. Thompson says domestic violence 'flies under the radar' because of the stigma and shame associated with it, along with the fear on the part of many healthcare providers of opening a 'Pandora's Box' of difficult problems that they are unsure how to address.

The study reveals that the more recent the violent incident and the longer it had persisted, the worse the victim's physical and mental health and social network were likely to be.

The researchers found that in 5 to 13 percent of the women, domestic violence persisted for more than 20 years, with more than one partner responsible in 11 percent to 21 percent of the cases.

Fifteen percent of the women had suffered from intimate partner violence within the previous five years, and 8 percent of the women had been affected within the previous year.

Compared to women with no such history, women recently victimized by violence were four times more likely to report symptoms of severe depression and almost three times more likely to report poor or fair health and more than one additional symptom.

They were also likely to report lower social functioning.

The researchers say that physical abuse such as slapping, hitting, kicking, or forced sex, had a stronger impact on health that nonphysical abuse such as threats, chronic disparaging remarks, or controlling behavior.

But the researchers noted that both forms of abuse significantly damaged women's health and often occur together.

Domestic violence rates were found to be higher for younger women, women with lower income and less education, single mothers, and those who had been abused as a child and many women had been abused by more than one partner.

Research associate Amy E. Bonomi says intimate partner violence harms women's physical and mental health even more than do other common conditions, such as back pain and even several forms of cancer.

The researchers suggest that interventions that might lower rates of domestic violence include doctors routinely asking female patients about the issue and, when necessary, referring them to appropriate services.

The findings appear in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.