Intimate Partner Violence Survivorship, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Disaster: Implications for Future Disasters

Abstract

This study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence among a sample of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors ( n  =  77) who filed for restraining orders in rural Louisiana during the COVID-19 pandemic. IPV survivors were individually interviewed to assess their self-reported levels of perceived stress, resilience, potential PTSD, COVID-19-related experiences, and sociodemographic characteristics. Data were analyzed to differentiate group membership between two groups; non-PTSD and probable PTSD. Results suggest the probable PTSD group had lower levels of resilience and higher levels of perceived stress compared to the non-PTSD group. Findings suggest the importance of providing services during disaster to reduce PTSD for IPV survivors.