Lifetime Prevalence of Gender-Based Violence in Women and the Relationship With Mental Disorders and Psychosocial Function

• NCJ Number: 235506
• Journal: JAMA Volume: 306 Issue: 5 Dated: August 3, 2011 Pages: 513-521
• Author(s): Susan Rees, Ph.D.; Derrick Silove, M.D.; Tein Chey, MAppStat; Lorraine Ivancic, Ph.D.; Zachary Steel, Ph.D.; Mark Creamer, Ph.D.; Maree Teesson, Ph.D.; Richard Bryant, Ph.D.; Alexander C. McFarlane, M.D.; Katherine L. Mills, Ph.D.; Tim Slade, Ph.D.; Natacha Carragher, Ph.D.; Meaghan O'Donnell, Ph.D.; David Forbes, Ph.D.
• Date Published: August 2011
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Australian study assessed the association of gender-based violence (intimate partner physical violence, rape, sexual assault, and stalking) and mental disorder among female victims, including its severity, comorbidity, and psychosocial functioning.

Abstract

The study found that among a nationally representative sample of Australian women, gender-based violence (GBV) was significantly associated with mental health disorder, dysfunction, and disability. Among 4,451 women ages 16-85 years, 1,218 (27.4 percent) reported experiencing at least 1 type of GBV. For women who experienced 3 or 4 types of GBV (n=139), the rates of mental disorders were 77.3 percent for anxiety disorders, 52.5 percent for mood disorder, 47.1 percent for substance-use disorder, 56.2 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 89.4 percent for any mental disorder, and 34.7 percent for suicide attempts. GBV was associated with more severe current mental disorder, higher rates of three or more lifetime disorders, physical disability, mental disability, impaired quality of life, an increase in disability days, and overall disability. This was a cross-sectional study based on the Australian National Mental Health and Well-being Survey in 2007. Lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder, anxiety, mood disorder, substance-use disorder, or PTSD was assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 of the World Health Organization's World Mental Health Survey. 5 tables and 34 references