“What Fresh Hell Is This?” Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Describe Their Experiences of Abuse, Pain, and Depression

Abstract

Traditionally, professionals working with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors view a victim through a disciplinary lens, examining health and safety in isolation. Using focus groups with survivors, this study explored the need to address IPV consequences with an integrated model and begin to understand the interconnectedness between violence, health, and safety. Focus group findings revealed that the inscription of pain on the body serves as a reminder of abuse, in turn triggering emotional and psychological pain and disrupting social relationships. In many cases, the physical abuse had stopped but the abuser was relentless by reminding and retraumatizing the victim repeatedly through shared parenting, prolonged court cases, etc. This increased participants’ exhaustion and frustration, making the act of daily living overwhelming.

Childhood Maltreatment and PTSD: Spiritual Well-Being and Intimate Partner Violence as Mediators

“…Further, an earlier investigation revealed that childhood maltreatment in combination with PTSD symptoms predicts suicide attempts (Thompson, Kaslow, Bradshaw, & Kingree, 2000). Taken together, childhood maltreatment has long lasting, profound psychological effects on the individual, with survivors often exhibiting increased symptoms of PTSD (Cerulli et al, 2012; Kaslow et al, 2002). …”

“…The negative psychological consequences of IPV are often long lasting and include depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use, and suicidal ideation and attempts. All of these connections have been well documented (Beydoun, Beydoun, Kaufman, Lo, & Zonderman, 2012; Cerulli, Poleshuck, Raimondi, Veal, & Chin, 2012; Kaslow et al, 2002). For example, recent studies reveal that women exposed to IPV are at higher risk for major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, and PTSD symptoms (Becker, 2012; Beydoun et al, 2012).…”

To ask, or not to ask: the hesitation process described by district nurses encountering women exposed to intimate partner violence

“…), causing constant fear (Cerulli et al . ) and difficulties in trusting other people (Catallo et al . ).…”

Mental health therapists’ perceptions of their readiness to address the intersection of intimate partner violence and suicide

“…Several coauthors participated in the coding process and have prior qualitative analysis experience (Bedell, Wilson, White, & Morse, ; Cerulli, Poleshuck, Raimondi, Veale, & Chin, ; Cerulli et al, ; Morse et al, ); the multidisciplinary analytic team included two graduate‐level research staff in addition to two of the three facilitators. To establish coding standards, all coders reviewed the first focus group transcript independently and subsequently came to consensus on final categories.…”