Living in fear of experiencing physical and sexual abuse is associated with severe depressive symptomatology among young women.

Purpose: To analyze the relationship among fear of being abused, direct experience of physical and sexual abuse, and severe depressive symptoms among young women.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in schools and households among 3615 young Hungarian women, ages 15-24 years, of whom 2016 were students. A multistage stratified sampling method was applied. The shortened Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the modified Abuse Assessment Screen were used. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated, and a general linear model was used to test effects of variables on the BDI score.

Results: Severe depressive symptoms were significantly more common among women who were abused physically (OR=3.474, 95% CI 2.170-5.562) or sexually (OR=6.436, 95% CI 3.085-13.429) in the past year or abused by a partner (OR=3.167, 95% CI 1.806-5.554) or important person (OR=2.989, 95% CI 1.922-4.648) during their lifetime. Severe depressive symptoms were also found among those young women who reported feeling fearful of someone in the family (OR=5.027, 95% CI 2.805-9.012) or in their environment (OR=3.779, 95% CI 2.120-6.738). In a linear regression analysis, fear of someone in the environment or family had the strongest effect on BDI scores after controlling for frequent anxiety.

Conclusions: Not only the direct lifetime experience of abuse but also the presence of fear of abuse is associated with severe depressive symptomatology among young women. Fear of abuse is also an important factor to take into consideration in assessing young women with depressive symptoms.