Previous research indicates a higher prevalence of victimization among severely mentally ill women. Few studies have either compared these levels across diagnostic categories or evaluated perpetration by the women. We report qualitative and quantitative findings regarding intimate partner violence perpetrated both against and by a sample of 53 Puerto Rican women diagnosed with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Interviewers shadowed participants for a period of 2 years. Two-thirds of the women with serious mental illness had histories of victimization. However, 23% of the women also reported histories of violence towards their significant others. This was attributed to various reasons, such as anger, revenge, control, and self-defense. Participants described their personal conceptualization of the violence they received and perpetrated. This has implications for programs designed to prevent family violence, for health care professionals in general, and for psychiatrists, who may be called upon to address future risk of victimization or commission of violence.
Introduction: During adolescence, due to lack of experience, individuals may engage in or tolerate certain non-consensual acts under coercion. There are significant associations between forced sexual intercourse and a range of negative effects on reproductive health, as well as psychological and emotional health. Studies on non-consensual sexual acts among adolescents are rare in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Background: The maternity continuum of care plays a vital role in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, its uptake remains low in Ethiopia, highlighting the need to identify challenges within the primary health care system to inform practice. Hence, this study aimed to explore the challenges of the maternity continuum of care within the primary health care system in northwest Ethiopia.
Background: Women's economic empowerment (WEE) is believed to reduce the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV), yet the relationship between WEE and IPV has proven to be highly variable. Little attention has been given to how the normative WEE environment may influence this relationship across different settings. This study tests whether IPV is associated with Vanguard WEE, defined as individual economic participation that deviates from community norms.
Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects an estimated 47% of women living in the USA in their lifetime and is associated with increased risk of physical and mental health concerns. Current prevention efforts focus on individual and family-level interventions rather than macrosystem-level policies. Thus, we sought to test the effects of Medicaid expansion on the rates of IPV and violence more broadly.
