Dataset Information

An exploratory study on the consequences and contextual factors of intimate partner violence among immigrant and Canadian-born women.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To compare immigrant and Canadian-born women on the physical and psychological consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as examine important sociodemographic, health and social support and network factors that may shape their experiences of abuse.

Method

National, population-based, cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009.

Participants

6859 women reported contact with a current or former partner in the previous 5 years, of whom 1480 reported having experienced emotional, financial, physical and/or sexual IPV. Of these women, 218 (15%) were immigrants and 1262 (85%) were Canadian-born.

Results

Immigrant women were less likely than Canadian-born women to report having experienced emotional abuse (15.3% vs 18.2%, p=0.04) and physical and/or sexual violence (5.1% vs 6.9%, p=0.04) from a current or former partner. There were no differences between immigrant and Canadian-born women in the physical and psychological consequences of physical and/or sexual IPV. However, compared with Canadian-born women, immigrant women reported lower levels of trust towards their neighbours (50.7% vs 41.5%, p=0.04) and people they work or go to school with (38.6% vs 27.5%, p=0.02), and were more likely to report having experienced discrimination based on ethnicity or culture (18.8% vs 6.8%, p<0.0001), race or skin colour (p=0.003) and language (10.1% vs 3.2%, p<0.0001). Immigrant women were less likely than Canadian-born women to report activity limitations (p=0.01) and medication use for sleep problems (14.1% vs 20.6%, p=0.05) and depression (11.5% vs 17.6%, p=0.05).

Conclusions

Our exploratory study revealed no differences between immigrant and Canadian-born women in the physical and psychological consequences of IPV. Abused immigrant women's lower levels of trust for certain individuals and experiences of discrimination may have important implications for seeking help for IPV and underscores the need for IPV-related intervention and prevention services that are culturally sensitive and appropriate.

SUBMITTER: Du Mont J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3533032 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

An exploratory study on the consequences and contextual factors of intimate partner violence among immigrant and Canadian-born women.

Du Mont Janice J Forte Tonia T

BMJ open 20121112 6

<h4>Objective</h4>To compare immigrant and Canadian-born women on the physical and psychological consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as examine important sociodemographic, health and social support and network factors that may shape their experiences of abuse.<h4>Method</h4>National, population-based, cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009.<h4>Participants</h4>6859 women reported contact with a current or former partner in the previous 5 years, of whom 1480 reported having ...[more]

PMID: 23148344

Similar Datasets

Project description:Chinese immigrant survivors of men's violence experience both significant mental health impacts from abuse and barriers to formal services. Therefore, we examined the preliminary efficacy of an innovative mobile-based empowerment-based intervention (self-compassion, health, and empowerment; SHE) that specifically focuses on abused Chinese immigrant women in the US. This pilot study used a two-arm randomized controlled design with repeated measures. A convenience sample (N = 50) of Chinese immigrant women who experienced past year intimate partner violence (IPV) were recruited online and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group (25 per group). We assessed IPV exposure, safety behaviors, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and self-compassion at baseline, post-intervention, and 8-week follow-up. Of 95 eligible participants, 50 (52.6%) agreed to participate and completed baseline data collection; intervention completion rate was 64%. We found a significant group and time interaction for self-judgment (a self-compassion component), with a significant reduction seen in the intervention group compared to the control group. Despite no other significant group differences observed over time, the intervention group showed consistent trends toward improvements in most outcome measures, including specific types of IPV (i.e., negotiation, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion), depressive and PTSD symptoms, self-compassion, and certain components of self-compassion (i.e., isolation and over-identification) when compared to the control group. Our findings suggest that the SHE intervention shows promise in improving the mental health well-being of Chinese immigrant survivors. However, a fully powered randomized controlled trial is warranted to determine its efficacy. Our intervention has the potential to be translated in the Chinese immigrant populations with the necessary organizational support.

Project description:IntroductionIntimate partner violence against women is one of the most common forms of violence. Different research fields are trying to understand the cycle of violence, such as the psychological field, to understand how these women's relational patterns and intrapsychic conflict function in the cycle of violence.ObjectiveTo investigate the operationalized psychodynamic diagnosis of women victims of domestic violence, exploring the severity and experience of violence, structural functions, dysfunctional interpersonal patterns, and intrapsychic conflicts.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study using the OPD-2 Clinical Interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. The sample was composed by 56 women victims of domestic violence, mean age 30.07 (SD = ±9.65). Reliability was satisfactory for judges interviews(k>0,6).ResultsAccording to the OPD-2 evaluation, we found that the severity of the violence was associated with the intensity of women's subjective suffering. In the relational pattern, they stay in the relationship, leaving themselves vulnerable; perceive the partner as controlling, aggressive, offensive, and fear abandonment. As a defensive mechanism to relational discomfort and suffering victims anticipate the aggressor's desire, resulting in submissive behavior. The main psychic conflict was the "need for care versus self-sufficiency" (78.6%). And medium was the predominant structure level, in which they presented insecure internal objects, presenting difficulties in emotional regulation and perceiving reality in a distorted way. Hence, they do not recognize their limitations and needs. We found that 78.6% of the cases had some psychiatric disorder: MDD, PTSD.ConclusionThis study provides empirical evidence on clinical observations on the psychological functioning of this population and the issues that make up the maintenance of domestic violence against women. The understanding of internalized patterns, structural functions, and motivational tensions are fundamental for the prevention of re-victimization and improving coping mechanisms, as well as promoting greater adherence to treatment.

Project description:PurposeViolence against women during pregnancy is a serious public health concern due to its significant adverse health consequences for both the mother and the baby. This study aims to systematically identify common health problems and synergistic health correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) that specifically affect pregnant women.MethodsWe mine large-scale electronic health record (EHR) data from the IBM Explorys database to identify health problems that are prevalent in both IPV and pregnancy populations, as well those that are synergistically associated with the presence of IPV during pregnancy. For this purpose, we develop methods that enhance the statistical reliability of identified patterns by constructing confidence intervals that take into account systematic bias and measurement errors in addition to the variance in estimation.ResultsWe identify with high confidence 668 and 2750 terms that are respectively prevalent in respectively IPV and pregnancy populations. Of these terms, 279 are common. We also identify 16 synergistic health correlates with high confidence. Our results suggest that mental health, substance abuse, and genitourinary complications are prevalent among pregnant women exposed to IPV. The synergistic terms we identify reveal potential conditions that can be direct consequences of trauma (e.g., tibial fracture), long-term health consequences (e.g., chronic rhinitis), markers associated with the demograhics of affected populations (e.g., acne), and risk factors that potentially increase vulnerability during pregnancy (e.g., disorders of attention and motor control).ConclusionsOur results indicate that IPV significantly affects the well-being of pregnant women in multiple ways. The findings of this study can be useful for screening of IPV in pregnant women. Finally, the methodology presented here can also be useful for investigating the synergy between other medical conditions using EHR databases with privacy constraints.

Project description:BackgroundViolence against women is often studied in the context of violence from intimate partners. However, women receive violence from a wider range of individuals-such as their natal kin-including their siblings, parents, uncles and cousins. Applying insights from evolutionary theory, we examine whether cousin marriage, which has been hypothesized to both reduce the risk of partner violence but increase the risk of natal family violence, associates differently with each type of violence. Second, we test whether common risk factors for partner violence, such as wealth, associate similarly with natal violence.MethodologyWe analyse over 16 000 Jordanian women from three cohorts of the Jordan Demographic Health Surveys. Predictor variables include type of cousin marriage (patrilateral or matrilateral), education, wealth, number of children, urban living and polygyny. Outcome variables include whether a woman's husband or her natal family has ever been physically violent towards her.ResultsBeing married to a patrilateral cousin but not a matrilateral cousin is associated with a reduced risk of reporting intimate partner violence (IPV). By contrast being married to a matrilateral cousin but not a patrilateral one is associated with a reduced risk of reporting natal family violence. As expected, wealth is negatively associated with reporting partner violence, but we find no association with reports of natal family violence. Finally, individuals with more children are more likely to report IPV.Conclusions and implicationsFindings indicate the importance of distinguishing between types of cousin marriage and highlight substantial differences in risk factors for intimate partner compared to natal family violence.Lay summarySociodemographic risk factors, such as wealth, may associate differently with intimate partner and natal family violence. Results suggest that whether cousin marriage is protective of violence may depend on the type of cousin and secondly, that violence can have fitness relevant outcomes.

Dataset Information

An exploratory study on the consequences and contextual factors of intimate partner violence among immigrant and Canadian-born women.

Objective

Method

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

An exploratory study on the consequences and contextual factors of intimate partner violence among immigrant and Canadian-born women.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets