Trauma, Violence, & Abuse current issue

Violence and Women's mEntal Health: The Pain Unequalled

Jordan, C. E. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

When Crises Collide: How Intimate Partner Violence and Poverty Intersect to Shape Women's Mental Health and Coping?

Goodman, L. A., Smyth, K. F., Borges, A. M., Singer, R. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

Until recently, the connection between intimate partner violence (IPV) and persistent poverty had been largely ignored. Recent research indicates, however, that the two phenomena cooccur at high rates; produce parallel effects; and, in each other’s presence, constrain coping options. Therefore, both external situational, and internal psychological difficulties are missed when women contending with both poverty and IPV are viewed through the lens of just one or just the other. This article describes mental health consequences for women who contend with both partner violence and poverty. It proposes that the stress, powerlessness, and social isolation at the heart of both phenomena combine to produce posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and other emotional difficulties. The article also introduces the term ‘‘survival-focused coping’’ to describe women’s methods of coping with IPV in the context of poverty and highlights the role that domestic violence advocates, mental health providers, and researchers can play in addressing these tightly intertwined phenomena.

From the Margins to the Center: Ethnic Minority Women and the Mental Health Effects of Sexual Assault

Bryant-Davis, T., Chung, H., Tillman, S. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

The trauma of sexual assault is heightened for many women by the interlocking experience of societal traumas such as racism, sexism, and poverty. The mental health effects of sexual assault are mediated by race and ethnicity. The investigators explore the experiences of African American, Asian American, Latina, and Native American female survivors of sexual assault. The sociohistorical context of intergenerational trauma in the lives of ethnic minorities is a part of the context for the contemporary experience of sexualized violence. Racial and ethnic dynamics related to sexual assault prevalence, mental health effects, and disclosure are examined. Literature related to cultural beliefs, community attitudes, and perceived social support in relation to sexualized violence are also reviewed. Finally, practice, research, and policy implications are discussed.

Intimate Partner Violence and Barriers To Mental Health Care for Ethnically Diverse Populations of Women

Rodriguez, M., Valentine, J. M., Son, J. B., Muhammad, M. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

Ethnically diverse populations of women, particularly survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), experience many barriers to mental health care. The search terms ‘‘women’’ and ‘‘domestic violence or IPV’’ and ‘‘mental health care’’ were used as a means to review the literature regarding barriers to mental health care and minority women. Abstracts chosen for further review included research studies with findings on women of one or more ethnic minority groups, potential barriers to accessing mental health care, and a nonexclusive focus on IPV. Fifty-five articles were selected for this review. Identified barriers included a variety of patient, provider, and health system/community factors. Attention to the barriers to mental health care for ethnically diverse survivors of IPV can help inform the development of more effective strategies for health care practice and policy.

Childhood Maltreatment, Intervening Variables, and Adult Psychological Difficulties in Women: An overview

Briere, J., Jordan, C. E. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

This article reviews the complex relationship between child maltreatment and later psychosocial difficulties among adult women. Specifically addressed are (a) the various forms of childhood maltreatment, (b) the range of potential long-term psychological outcomes, and (c) important contextual variables that mediate or add to these maltreatment—symptom relationships. Among the latter are characteristics of the abuse and/or neglect; effects of impaired parental functioning; premaltreatment and postmaltreatment psychobiology; qualities of the parent—child attachment; abuse and/or neglect-related affect dysregulation that may lead to further symptomatology; the extent to which the child responds with significant emotional or behavioral avoidance; and whether later traumas are also present. Also relevant are sociocultural contributors to both child maltreatment and maltreatment effects, especially poverty and marginalization. Clinical and research implications are considered.

The Neurobiological Toll of Child Abuse and Neglect

Neigh, G. N., Gillespie, C. F., Nemeroff, C. B. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:13 PDT

Exposure to interpersonal violence or abuse affects the physical and emotional well-being of affected individuals. In particular, exposure to trauma during development increases the risk of psychiatric and other medical disorders beyond the risks associated with adult violence exposure. Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a major mediating pathway of the stress response, contribute to the long-standing effects of early life trauma. Although early life trauma elevates the risk of psychiatric and medical disease, not all exposed individuals demonstrate altered HPA axis physiology, suggesting that genetic variation influences the consequences of trauma exposure. In addition, the effects of abuse may extend beyond the immediate victim into subsequent generations as a consequence of epigenetic effects transmitted directly to offspring and/or behavioral changes in affected individuals. Recognition of the biological consequences and transgenerational impact of violence and abuse has critical importance for both disease research and public health policy.