Impacto psicológico del maltrato de la pareja en mujeres colombianas

Abstract

Intimate partner violence against women is an important social and public health problem. Although many studies on intimate partner violence were carried out in the past decades, research in this matter is rare in Colombia, a country with a high rate of violence of various types. This study investigated the psychological impact of partner violence in the mental health of women in a Colombian context. A cross-sectional study with 189 intimate partner abused women, aged from 18 to 70 years, and a control group of 69 non-abused women with similar sociodemographic profile was conducted. Information about social-demographic characteristics, partner violence and health status (Post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive, somatic, social dysfunction and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, and social support) was obtained. The prevalence of Post-traumatic stress disorder was 27.5% in the sample of abused women and 7.4% in the control group of non-abused women. The abused women suffered more post-traumatic stress symptoms of re-experiencing of traumatic event, avoidance and increased arousal. They had more anxiety and insomnia, severe depression, social dysfunction and somatic symptoms, and also had more insecurity and lower self-esteem and social support than did the control group of non-abused women. We concluded that the Colombian women who have experienced intimate partner violence are more likely to suffer from mental health than the non- abused Colombian women.