Examining the Relationship Between Economic Abuse and Mental Health Among Latina Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in the United States

Abstract

Currently, Latinos constitute the second largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. Among this population, one in every six Latinas experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in her lifetime. Research has documented significant detrimental effects of physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological IPV on the physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being of various cultural/ethnic groups; however, few studies have focused on economic abuse, which may include tactics of economic control, economic exploitation, and employment sabotage. Research examining economic abuse against racial/ethnic minorities, particularly Latinos, is needed. To address these gaps, baseline data from a larger treatment outcome study were used to examine the associations between economic abuse and the mental health symptoms reported by 245 Latina IPV survivors in the United States. When examining the economic abuse experiences reported by Latinas in this sample, the results indicated that the most commonly reported form of economic abuse was economic control (e.g., restricting access to money and financial information). Multiple regression analyses revealed that economic abuse did not uniquely predict mental health after accounting for other forms of IPV victimization and sociodemographic characteristics. Limitations of this study are discussed, and directions for future research designed to enhance our understanding of economic abuse against various racial/ethnic groups (such as Latinas) are presented.

Economic violence against women: A case in Turkey

“…In the literature, it is stated that there are four different types of non-physical violence: emotional, psychological, social and economic violence [3]. Physical and sexual violence, however, refers to the type of violence related to physical intervention against women [2,4]. IPV is a comprehensive and multi-directional social problem associated with various health and social consequences.…”

IPV Among Latina Survivors: Unique Considerations, Strategies, and Opportunities

“…Research is also beginning to document economic and work-related IPV among Latinas. For Latina survivors, physical and sexual IPVoften co-occurred with economic abuse (Davila et al 2017). Economic control, i.e., when the abuser controls or limits the victim's access to resources, was the most common form of economic abuse reported in this study.…”

“…Economic control, i.e., when the abuser controls or limits the victim's access to resources, was the most common form of economic abuse reported in this study. Economic sabotage, such as when an abuser interferes with their partner's work outside the home, was also documented (Davila et al 2017;Stylianou et al 2013). In another study, Latinos who had used violence against their partners reported using several strategies to interfere with their partners' employment, such as on-the-job surveillance, on-the-job harassment, and work disruption tactics (Galvez et al 2011).…”

“…For Latinas, research has shown that depression is a common outcome of IPV exposure (González-Guarda et al 2009;Hazen et al 2008;Valentine et al 2011) and that IPV-exposed Latinas are more likely to experience depression than non-Latinas (Edelson et al 2007;Bonomi et al 2009). Other studies examining the Latina population have shown the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Carey et al 2019;Davila et al 2017), generalized anxiety (Cuevas et al 2010), the comorbidity of PTSD and depression (Fedovskiy et al 2008;Kelly 2010a, b), disassociation (Cuevas et al 2010), and increased odds of engaging in hazardous drinking due to experiencing IPV (Lown et al 2017). Other outcomes include traumatic brain injury (Valera and Kucyi 2017) and experiencing unintended pregnancies (Cha et al 2017;Holliday et al 2017;Masho et al 2018), in addition to being more likely to start their prenatal care late and deliver earlier (Ogunwale et al 2017).…”

“…The barriers for any person seeking help from IPV are unique to their lived experiences. Research shows, however, that immigration issues (Rodriguez et al 2018;Reina et al 2014), economic dependence on an abuser (Davila et al 2017;Stylianou et al 2013;Vidales 2010), and limited access to services for survivors with limited English proficiency (Lyon et al 2008;Vidales 2010) are obstacles, among others, that undermine access to safety and well-being for Latinas experiencing intimate partner violence. Additionally, barriers occurring simultaneously may have a cumulative impact in presenting obstacles to safety.…”