Mental Health of Victims
IPV as a Global Health Risk
Among women who experience IPV, roughly 30% have screened positive for depression and over 35% showcase symptoms of PTSD [1]. Women with marginalized race and socioeconomic identities are at an even more elevated risk for such outcomes. Not only these women more likely to be victims, but they are also more likely to have negative mental health outcomes because of it. Another factor that plays into the mental health of victims is the strength of the social support around them. Neighborhood disorder and levels of social support a woman has is effective in assessing positive and negative mental health outcomes. It has been proven that higher levels of social support from a network of family and friends can act as a sort of buffer against outcomes of depression and suicidal tendencies [2].
Being in an abusive relationship can also impact a woman's sense of self. Furthermore, a history of IPV can alter how women view relationships in the future. Vicitms of IPV often tend to expect violence in relationships and state that they would choose not to be in a relationship all together [3]. While this is troubling in and of itself, this can also have a negtaive long-term impact on an individual's mental health. The fear of connection victims have when thinking about future relationships can lead to isolation from more than just romantic partners. Without a strong support network, outcomes such as depression may keep persisting.
References
1. Roesch, Pamela Therese, Alisa Joy Velonis, Sayli M. Sant, Lauren Elisabeth Habermann, and Jana L. Hirschtick. "Implications of interpersonal violence on population mental health status in a low-income Urban Community-based sample of adults." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2019): 10
2. Pickover, Alison M., Jabeene Bhimji, Shufang Sun, Anna Evans, Lucy J. Allbaugh, Sarah E. Dunn, and Nadine J. Kaslow. "Neighborhood disorder, social support, and outcomes among violence-exposed African American women." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2018): 4.
3. Cervantes, Marisa V., and Jennifer Sherman. "Falling for the Ones That Were Abusive: Cycles of Violence in Low-Income Women’s Intimate Relationships." Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2019): 17.