Contribution of intimate partner violence exposure, other traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder to chronic pain and depressive symptoms

Abstract

Objective. To assess the contribution of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure, other traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder to chronic pain and depressive symptoms. Methodology. Cross sectional descriptive study. 150 women with a past history of IPV who lived in the metropolitan area of the city of Cali (Co­lombia), and were over 18 years old participated in the study. Data were collected between June of 2009 and March of 2010. IPV, trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress, depressive symptoms and pain were measured with standard scales. Information was analyzed using regression and multiple-scale analysis. Results. More than 50% of the women from the sample were exposed to the typical types of violence: threatening, physical and sexual violence. Usually a type of violence coexists with the other types. Depressive symptoms and chronic pain were present in 72% and 74% of the patients respectively. Conclusion. Physical manifes­tations were not the ones that caused most of the effects over women’s health with IPV, but psychological manifestations as de­pressive symptoms and stress did. Women exposed to IPV health approach should be conducted from a multidimensional view.