Common mental disorders and intimate partner violence in pregnancy

Common mental disorders and associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Common mental disorders are the most common public health problems, especially in low and middle-income countries. The burden is high among pregnant women. However, the concern given to this problem is less and isn't assessed during the antenatal period. In Ethiopia, there was no summarized evidence about the problem in this particular population. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled magnitude of common mental disorders among pregnant mothers and their associated factors in Ethiopia.

METHODS

We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines to write this review and meta-analysis. Only primary studies published in English were included. The Egger's test and funnel plot were done to assess the publication bias Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 and subgroup analysis was conducted to identify the source. A random effect model was used to perform the analysis. An association was declared with a pooled adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI.

RESULT

A total of 11 studies were included and the pooled magnitude of common mental disorders was 27.00 [95% CI: 20.47, 33.53]. Unplanned pregnancy [pooled AOR: 2.82 with 95% CI (2.23, 3.58)], intimate partner violence [pooled AOR: 2.81 with 95% CI (2.29, 3.46), substance use [pooled AOR: 2.97 with 95% CI (2.29, 3.85)], chronic disease [pooled AOR: 3.60; 95% CI (2.19, 5.91)], obstetric complications [pooled AOR: 2.78 with 95% CI (1.89, 4.07)] and family history of psychiatric illness [pooled AOR: 4.03 with 95% (2.58, 6.30)] were significant predictors for common mental disorders.

CONCLUSION

In this meta-analysis, the pooled magnitude of common mental disorders was high as compared to the global report. Substance use, chronic disease, unplanned pregnancy, intimate partner violence, having a history of obstetric complications, and a family history of psychiatric illness were significantly associated with common mental disorders. The Federal Ministry of Health should design a strategy that helps to assess the mental health of pregnant women during their antenatal care follow-up. Moreover, healthcare providers should focus on and support pregnant women who have the above factors.

The magnitude of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and associated factors in rural Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a global public health issue associated with adverse maternal and newborn health outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of IPV during pregnancy and associated factors in rural Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 432 pregnant women in the rural Hadiya Zone, Central Ethiopia, in July 2023, using structured interview questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was performed and the results were reported using adjusted ORs (AORs) with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of IPV during recent pregnancy was 38.37% (95% CI 33.82 to 43.18%). Among the specific forms of IPV, psychological, physical and sexual violence were 28.84% (95% CI 24.62 to 33.43%), 22.09% (95% CI 18.29 to 26.31%) and 20.70% (95% CI 17.02 to 24.84%), respectively. Key factors significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy included early marriage (before the age of 20 y), being uneducated, lower autonomy among women, husbands' cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, poor knowledge of IPV among husbands and husbands' involvement in antenatal care (ANC). IPV during pregnancy was notably high in the study setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Empowering women with low literacy, addressing male substance abuse, raising IPV awareness, promoting women's autonomy and encouraging male involvement in ANC visits are critical for reducing IPV.

Magnus J, Assefa N, Wordofa MA. The protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate couple-based violence prevention education and its ability to reduce intimate partner violence during pregnancy in Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

A significant proportion of women in Ethiopia suffer from violence by their intimate partner during pregnancy, which has adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. Couple-focused interventions are effective in reducing and/or controlling violence between women and their intimate partners. However, interventions addressing intimate partners of the victims are not well studied, particularly in the Ethiopian setting. This study aims to assess the effect of couple-based violence prevention education on intimate partner violence during pregnancy.

METHODS

We will use a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of couple-based violence prevention education compared to routine care in reducing intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Sixteen kebeles will be randomly assigned to 8 interventions and 8 control groups. In the trial, 432 couples whose wife is pregnant will participate. Health extension workers (HEWs) will provide health education. Data will be collected at baseline and endline. All the collected data will be analyzed using Stata version 16.0 or SPSS version 25.0. We will use the McNemar test to assess the differences in outcomes of interest in both intervention and control groups before and after the intervention for categorical data. A paired t-test will be used to compare continuous outcome of interest in the intervention and the control groups after and before the intervention. The GEE (Generalized Estimating Equation), will be used to test the independent effect of the intervention on the outcome of the interest. Data analysis will be performed with an intention-to-treat analysis approach. During the analysis, the effect size, confidence interval, and p-value will be calculated. All tests will be two-sided, and statistical significance will be declared at p < 0.05.

DISCUSSION

We expect that the study will generate findings that can illuminate violence prevention strategies and practices in Ethiopia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

It has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05856214 on May 4, 2023.

The Trauma and Mental Health Impacts of Coercive Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Coercive control is an under researched type of intimate partner violence (IPV). The aims of this review were to (a) synthesize all available evidence regarding associations with coercive control and mental health outcomes including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and depression; and (b) compare these with associations involving broader categories of psychological IPV. Primary studies which measured associations of coercive control with PTSD, complex PTSD, depression, or other mental health symptoms, were identified via a systematic search of electronic databases (PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Scopus). Eligible studies involved observational designs and reported associations between coercive control and mental health outcomes, among participants who were at least 18 years old. Studies were published in peer-reviewed journals and English language. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to synthesize correlational data from eligible studies. The search identified 68 studies while data from 45 studies could be included in the meta-analyses. These indicated moderate associations involving coercive control and PTSD (r = .32; 95% confidence interval [.28, .37]) and depression (r = .27; [.22, .31]). These associations were comparable to those involving psychological IPV and PTSD (r = .34; [.25, .42]) and depression (r = .33; [.26, .40]). Only one study reported on the relationship between coercive control and complex PTSD and meta-analyses could not be performed. This review indicated that coercive control exposure is moderately associated with both PTSD and depression. This highlights that mental health care is needed for those exposed to coercive control, including trauma-informed psychological interventions.

Obstetric violence in southwestern Turkey: Risk factors and its relationship to postpartum depression

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between violence, risk factors, and depression at the end of pregnancy. The sample of this descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 426 women for normal postpartum monitoring during the six-month period and living in southwestern Turkey of the study. About 5.6% of the women who participated in the study were exposed to obstetric violence. 5.2% of them were intimate partner violence before pregnancy. 79.1% (n = 24), 29.1%, and 25% of them were subjected to physical, sexual, and economic violence, respectively. In addition, 7.5% of women were exposed to verbal obstetric violence. It was found that the postpartum depression scores of the women who had been subjected to violence from their husbands before pregnancy were high.

Common mental disorders in pregnancy and postnatal depressive symptoms in the MINA-Brazil study: occurrence and associated factors

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the occurrence and factors associated with common mental disorders in pregnancy and depressive symptoms in postpartum, as well as the association between both in the Brazilian Western Amazon.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort in the MINA-Brazil study with women who received primary health care in the town of Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre State. We performed two clinical evaluations during pregnancy (the first: 16–20 weeks; the second: 28 gestational weeks) and three postpartum evaluations (at 3, 6 and 12 months), in which demographic and socioeconomic, gestational, lifestyle and clinical data were collected. We used the Self-Reported Questionnaire (score ≥ 8) to screen the gestational common mental disorder and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (score ≥ 10) to identify postpartum depressive symptoms. We used adjusted ordinal logistic regression to investigate the relationship between the covariates and the occurrence of common mental disorders in pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptomatology.

RESULTS

A total of 461 women completed the two clinical evaluations in pregnancy; of these, 247 completed the three postpartum evaluations. The occurrence of common mental disorder during pregnancy was 36.2% and 24.5% in the first and second evaluations, respectively, and the cumulative incidence was 9.2%. In addition, 50.3% maintained the disorder between evaluations. During postpartum, approximately 20% of the mothers presented depressive symptoms during the first year of their children’s lives. Parity (≥ 2) was associated with common mental disorders, while low maternal education was associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. Women with a common mental disorder in both evaluations during pregnancy were 5.6 times more likely (95%CI: 2.50–12.60) to develop postpartum depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The occurrence of common mental disorder at any time assessed during pregnancy, but especially its persistence from the second trimester, was strongly associated with depressive symptoms after childbirth. These findings highlight the need for early screening and monitoring of the mental health of pregnant women at the start of prenatal care in order to reduce possible negative impacts on the health of the mother-child binomial caused by such events.

Effect of sexual violence on planned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

Introduction

Sexual violence plays a key role in women's pregnancy intention. We investigated the influence of sexual violence on planned, mistimed, and unwanted pregnancies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Materials and methods

Data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of 22 countries in SSA were used in this study. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. We carried out a multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of sexual violence on planned, mistimed, and unwanted pregnancies. STATA version 14.2 was used to carry out all analyses. Statistical significance was declared at p<0.05.

Results

At the descriptive level, we found that 74.1% of women of reproductive age in SSA had planned pregnancies, with the remaining 25.9% having either mistimed (20.4%) or unwanted (5.5%) pregnancies. Women in Nigeria had the lowest proportion of mistimed pregnancies (7.5%) whereas those in Burundi had the greatest percentage of unwanted pregnancies (12.4%). Women who had history of sexual violence had increased risk of mistimed [ARRR = 1.5, CI = 1.3–1.7] and unwanted pregnancies [ARRR = 1.6, CI = 1.3–2.0], compared to those with no history of sexual violence. Women aged 40–44 [ARRR = 3.3, CI = 1.4–7.6] and 45–49 [ARRR = 4.4, CI = 1.7–11.2] had higher risk of unwanted pregnancies, compared to women aged 15–19. Women who were cohabiting had higher risk of mistimed [ARRR = 1.3, CI = 1.1–1.4] and unwanted pregnancies [ARRR = 1.6, CI = 1.3–2.1], compared to married women.

Conclusion

Sexual violence plays a key role in mistimed and unwanted pregnancies. It is, therefore, prudent to develop various assessment techniques to detect sexual violence in unions and refer victims to appropriate services to diminish the risk of mistimed and unwanted pregnancies. Our findings provide a basis for developing and implementing policies and interventions aimed at reducing mistimed and unwanted pregnancies.

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Sexual violence is a global concern.

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Sexual violence plays a key role in women's pregnancy intentions.

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74% of pregnancies in SSA are planned.

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25.9% are either mistimed (20.4%) or unwanted (5.6%).

The association of intimate partner violence with postpartum depression in women during their first month period of giving delivery in health centers at Dessie town, 2019

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression is a common psychiatric complaint of women following delivery and a multitude of psychosocial, maternal, newborn and husband-related factors were contributing to it. This condition has a detrimental impact on the mother-infant caregiving relationship and hastens the infant's cognitive, emotional and social development. However, a shortage of empirical evidence existed especially in developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, we implemented this study to determine the magnitude of postpartum depression and its correlates.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was implemented on 378 postnatal women in the maternal and child health clinic of Dessie health centers within 4 weeks of their delivery. Postpartum depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Intimate partner violence was operationalized as a psychological, physical and sexual abusive action imposed on women by their associates. We estimated the crude and adjusted odds ratio with its 95% CI using binary logistic regression to know the association and statistical significance was declared using a p-value < 0.05.

RESULTS

More than one-fourth, 102 (27%) (95% CI 22.5, 31.5) of participants were obtained to have postpartum depression. Being single from socio-demographic variables (AOR = 4.9, 95% CI 1.27, 16.74), dissatisfaction with child gender (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.62, 6.69), unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.76, 7.23) and depression during current pregnancy (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI 2.81, 8.91) from pregnancy and newborn-related variables, intimate partner violence; psychological (AOR = 6.5, 95% CI 1.98, 15.85), sexual and physical violence (AOR = 3.46, 95%CI 2.34, 18.55), current husbands alcoholism (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.48, 5.34) from husband/partner-related variables and current substance use (AOR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.16, 3.75) were found to have a statistically significant association with postpartum depression.

CONCLUSION

More than one-fourth of the interviewed women (27%) were found to have postpartum depression. Being single from socio-demographic variables, dissatisfaction with child gender, unplanned pregnancy, and depression during current pregnancy from pregnancy and newborn-related variables, intimate partner violence, and current husband's alcoholism from husband/partner-related variables and current substance use were the related factors. This suggests the need for integrating postpartum depression services into the existing postnatal maternal and child health services and basing intervention geared primarily to the mentioned factors above.

Tentativa de suicídio, transtorno de estresse pós-traumático e fatores associados em mulheres do Recife

RESUMO: Objetivo: Investigar a associação da tentativa de suicídio (TS) com o transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT), a violência por parceiro íntimo (VPI) e variáveis relacionadas aos aspectos socioeconômicos e demográficos em uma coorte de mulheres cadastradas na Estratégia Saúde da Família do Recife. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo transversal, aninhado em um estudo de coorte prospectivo, com 644 mulheres de 18 a 49 anos, cadastradas na Estratégia Saúde da Família do Distrito Sanitário II da cidade do Recife (PE), entre julho de 2013 e dezembro de 2014. A TS foi avaliada pela pergunta “Já tentou pôr fim à sua vida?”, e o TEPT, diagnosticado por meio do Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (PCL-C). Foram realizadas uma modelagem hierarquizada, a aplicação do teste χ2 e a análise de resíduos padronizados. A associação das variáveis independentes com a TS foi estimada por meio de regressão logística simples e ajustada. Resultados: A prevalência da TS foi de 10,9%, e a frequência de TEPT, de 16%. As mulheres que tinham TEPT e também as que não possuíam religião tiveram maior chance de tentar o suicídio (odds ratio - OR = 5,11, intervalo de confiança de 95% - IC95% 2,9 - 8,7; OR = 1,76, IC95% 1,0 - 2,9, respectivamente). Conclusões: Houve maior risco de TS nas mulheres que tiveram TEPT e baixa adesão a uma religião. Sendo assim, compreendeu-se que o enfrentamento do TEPT se dá prevenindo esse transtorno, tratando dele e promovendo mais conhecimentos sobre ele, além do efeito agregador e protetor social que a religiosidade promove, que também podem ser estratégias de redução e prevenção da TS.

Perspectiva de profesionales de salud sobre la violencia de la pareja en el embarazo

Introducción: La violencia de pareja (VP) durante el embarazo afecta los derechos de las gestantes y causa serias complicaciones para la madre o su hijo por nacer. El personal de salud puede enfrentar esta realidad mediante un adecuado proceso de detección y atención. Objetivo: Explorar la perspectiva de profesionales de salud de la Unidad de Servicios de Salud Usaquén, de Bogotá, sobre la VP en el embarazo. Método: Estudio cualitativo, entre marzo y diciembre de 2016. Se realizaron cuatro grupos focales con la participación de 38 profesionales. El análisis se desarrolló con apoyo del software ATLAS.ti 7. Resultados: La corta edad y la carencia de recursos y redes de apoyo perpetúa la VP. Los participantes sugieren la intervención de equipos multidisciplinarios coordinados en la detección y atención biopsicosocial de la problemática, construir ambientes de contención emocional a las usuarias, empoderarlas para el ejercicio de derechos y capacitar al personal de salud en el manejo de la problemática. Discusión: Para el personal de salud es imperioso saber enfrentar esta realidad, de manera que las mujeres salgan fortalecidas. La inclusión de una mirada de género y derechos es una necesidad a la hora de abordar la VP en los contextos de la salud. Conclusiones: Para un cambio de condiciones se requiere: a) trabajo multidisciplinario coordinado, b) ambientes amigables, c) atención humanizada a la gestante, d) reducción de la revictimización y e) capacitación al personal de salud para la intervención en VP.

Associação entre risco de transtornos mentais comuns e insegurança alimentar entre mães com filhos menores de um ano de idade

Resumo Insegurança alimentar e nutricional está relacionada a problemas nutricionais e de saúde, entretanto poucos estudos a relacionam com saúde mental. O objetivo deste artigo é Investigar associação da insegurança alimentar familiar e risco de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC) em mães com filhos de um ano de idade. Estudo de coorte prospectivo com 194 mães e seus filhos desde o nascimento. Insegurança alimentar foi medida aos quatro meses pós-parto, com a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar e risco de diagnóstico positivo de TMC nas mães ao final do primeiro ano da criança, com o Self Response Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Medidas socioeconômicas e de saúde foram utilizadas como controle. Das famílias, 59,3% apresentavam insegurança alimentar, tendo razão de risco para diagnóstico de TMC de 1,59 (IC 95%: 1,10 – 2,31), comparado com famílias em segurança alimentar. Após ajuste, modelo logístico múltiplo estimou OR = 2,20 (IC 95%: 1,16 – 4,20) para esta relação. Observou-se associação da insegurança alimentar familiar aos quatro meses pós-parto e risco de diagnóstico de TMC entre mães ao final do primeiro ano dos filhos. O enfrentamento da insegurança alimentar deve fazer parte das estratégias promotoras da saúde materna e da qualidade de vida materno-infantil.

[Psychological violence against women: What factors increase the risk of this kind of intimate partner abuse?]

Using data from Argentina's National Study on Violence Against Women [Estudio nacional sobre violencias contra las mujeres] carried out in 2015, the article identifies the risk factors that increase women's vulnerability to psychological abuse. Findings show that women who are more prone to be victims of this kind of partner violence are those who are less educated, older, do not earn a wage for their work, live with children at home, are involved in less "formal" long-term relationships, as well as those whose male partners have a lower educational level than their own and/or have alcohol problems and/or were victims or witnesses of violence during their childhood. The article suggests possible intervention strategies to eradicate abuse, which should be primarily targeted at empowering women and strengthening their independence from their partners.

Domains of common mental disorders in women reporting intimate partner violence

Objective

to verify associations between the types of intimate partner violence and the domains of common mental disorders in women.

Method

cross-sectional study with 369 women. The information was obtained through the instruments Self-Reporting Questionnaire and Conflict Tactic Scales. To analyze the data, Pearson’s Chi-Square test, Fisher’s exact test and Odds Ratio were used.

Results

women who reported physical abuse with and without sequela were respectively 2.58 and 3.7 times more likely to have symptoms of anxious depressed mood. The chances of experiencing symptoms of decreased vital energy increased by 2.27 times with psychological aggression, 3.06 times with physical abuse without sequelae and 3.13 times with physical abuse with sequelae. Somatic symptoms did not show statistical association with the types of violence. The propensity to develop symptoms of depressive thoughts increased 3.11 times with psychological aggression, 6.13 times with physical aggression without sequelae, 2.47 times with sexual coercion and 7.3 times with physical aggression with sequelae.

Conclusion

the types of intimate partner violence are strongly associated with the domains of common mental disorders in women. This finding may contribute to more accurate interventions by health professionals to women victims of violence.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy and behavioral problems in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of intimate partner violence during the gestational period and the development of externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems in children and adolescents.

SOURCE OF DATA

A meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies was performed, using studies selected from electronic databases. Eligible studies included women who experienced intimate partner violence during pregnancy and their children's behavioral problems. These problems encompass two groups: externalizing problems (expressed by hyperactivity, aggressive and challenging behavior, and delinquency) and internalizing problems (represented by depressive moods, anxiety, and somatic symptoms). The risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) and the quality of evidence by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Of the 687 eligible articles, only seven met all inclusion criteria and consisted of 12,250 mother/child pairs. The age range of the assessed children varied from 10 months to 16 years. The odds of internalizing problems in children exposed to prenatal violence were two-fold higher (OR=2.10, 95% CI: 1.17-3.76) and that of externalizing problems were 1.9-fold higher (95% CI: 1.28-2.83), when compared to children of unexposed mothers.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that women's exposure to intimate partner violence during pregnancy may be associated with behavioral problems of their children, emphasizing the need for greater understanding about the vulnerability of children to adversity in early ages.

Intimate partner violence and incidence of common mental disorder

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of intimate partner violence against women reported in the last 12 months and seven years with the incidence of common mental disorders.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study with 390 women from 18 to 49 years, registered in the Family Health Program of the city of Recife, State of Pernambuco; from July 2013 to December 2014. The Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) assessed mental health. Intimate partner violence consists of concrete acts of psychological, physical or sexual violence that the partner inflicts on the woman. Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted relative risks (RR) of the association between common mental disorders and intimate partner violence.

RESULTS

The incidence of common mental disorders was 44.6% among women who reported intimate partner violence in the last 12 months and 43.4% among those who reported in the past seven years. Mental disorders remained associated with psychological violence (RR = 3.0; 95%CI 1.9–4.7 and RR = 1.8; 95%CI 1.0–3.7 in the last 12 months, and seven years, respectively), even in the absence of physical or sexual violence. When psychological violence were related to physical or sexual violence, the risk of common mental disorders was even higher, both in the last 12 months (RR = 3.1; 95%CI 2.1–4.7) and in the last seven years (RR = 2.5; 95%CI 1.7–3.8).

CONCLUSIONS

Intimate partner violence is associated with the incidence of common mental disorders in women. The treatment of the consequences of IPV and support for women in seeking protection for themselves for public services is essential.

Epidemiology of maternal depression, risk factors, and child outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries

Maternal depression, a non-psychotic depressive episode of mild to major severity, is one of the major contributors of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Maternal depression (antepartum or post partum) has been linked to negative health-related behaviours and adverse outcomes, including psychological and developmental disturbances in infants, children, and adolescents. Despite its enormous burden, maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries remains under-recognised and undertreated. In this Series paper, we systematically review studies that focus on the epidemiology of perinatal depression (ie, during antepartum and post-partum periods) among women residing in low-income and middle-income countries. We also summarise evidence for the association of perinatal depression with infant and childhood outcomes. This review is intended to summarise findings from the existing literature, identify important knowledge gaps, and set the research agenda for creating new generalisable knowledge pertinent to increasing our understanding of the prevalence, determinants, and infant and childhood health outcomes associated with perinatal depression. This review is also intended to set the stage for subsequent work aimed at reinforcing and accelerating investments toward providing services to manage maternal depression in low-income and middle-income countries.

Domestic violence against women as a risk factor for depressive and anxiety disorders: findings from domestic violence household survey in Tehran, Iran

Domestic violence (DV) especially intimate partner violence is a global health problem responsible for significant part of burden of diseases in women. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are possibly results and resulted in IPV. To investigate correlation between IPV and depression and anxiety among married women, in a household survey of married women in Tehran, Iran, at summer 2011, we recruited 615 samples with cluster sampling method and they are directly asked about experience of 23 different types of physical and non-physical IPV during marital life and last 12 months. Depression and anxiety were assessed by Beck depression inventory II (BDI) and Beck Anxiety inventory (BAI). Multinominal regression model was used to assess the independent relationship of factor on IPV. Mean (±SE) age and duration of marriage were 42.6 ± 0.9 and 22 ± 0.8, respectively. Non-physical violence and physical violence during marital life reported in 77.2 and 35.1 %. Clinically significant depression and anxiety was reported in 15.3 and 32.7 % of women, respectively. The odds ratio (95 % CI) of clinically significant depression and anxiety in DV victims were 5.8 (2.3-14.6) and 2.6 (1.6-4.3). DV as a social factor is significantly correlated factor with depression and anxiety. Comprehensive view and collaborative work to detect and address social determinants of mental illness like DV is a crucial point in mental health promotion programs.

Association between maternal intimate partner violence victimization during pregnancy and maternal abusive behavior towards infants at 4 months of age in Japan

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether maternal intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization during pregnancy is associated with abusive behavior by the mother towards infants at 4 months of age. A population-based sample of 6590 mothers with 4-month-old infants participated in this study in Japan. Abusive behavior was assessed via questionnaire and defined as frequency of shaking and smothering during the preceding month. Both verbal and physical IPV during pregnancy were assessed retrospectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used, adjusting for types of IPV and potential covariates, specifically postpartum depression. Maternal exposure to verbal and physical IPV during pregnancy was reported by 10.9% and 1.2% of women, respectively. In the adjusted model, women exposed to verbal IPV alone were significantly more likely to abuse offspring (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-2.16) while exposure to physical IPV did not have an additive effect for abusive behavior. Maternal victimization by verbal, but not physical IPV was associated with maternal abusive behavior towards their 4-month-old infant. Screening for verbal abuse during pregnancy might be an efficient approach to identify high-risk mothers of infant abuse.