Exposure to interpersonal violence as a predictor of PTSD symptomatology in domestic violence survivors.

This study examines the interrelationships between childhood abuse, exposure to maternal domestic violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in a multiethnic sample of 111 adult female residents of a domestic violence (DV) shelter. Participants completed structured interviews about the DV and their prior violence exposure, as well as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. As hypothesized, there was high co-occurrence between exposure to maternal DV and childhood physical and sexual abuse, and the frequency of lifetime violence exposure predicted PTSD symptomatology.

The process of coping with domestic violence in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Research suggests that the use of disengaged or avoidant strategies to cope with interpersonal violence contributes to the development of depressive symptoms and other psychological difficulties. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who are exposed to subsequent episodes of abuse may be more likely to rely on disengaged coping strategies, placing them at elevated risk of psychological symptomatology. In this study, we explored the interrelationships between coping, depression, and self-esteem in an ethnically diverse sample of domestic violence survivors (N = 219) with and without a history of CSA.

Coping and violence exposure as predictors of psychological functioning in domestic violence survivors.

This study examines the differential effects of adult and childhood physical and psychological abuse, abuse-specific coping, and psychological adjustment in battered women seeking emergency shelter. Multivariate regression analyses confirmed the devastating impact of psychological abuse (childhood and concurrent) on battered women's adjustment. The results corroborated prior research suggesting a cumulative vulnerability to psychological victimization in a substantial proportion of residents.