Abstract
Women’s experience with psychological abuse was examined as a predictor of symptoms and clinical levels of depression, anxiety, and somatization, as well as suicidal ideation and life functioning. A national sample of 361 women reporting themselves to be in a problematic or conflictual relationship completed an online survey assessing psychological abuse, pre-existing risk factors, risk factors related to exposure of psychological abuse and mental health indicators. The results indicated that while psychological abuse does predict mental health outcomes, perceived negative changes in one’s traits, problematic relationship schemas, and response styles more strongly predict mental health outcomes than the reported abuse. Implications discussed include the importance of identifying women in psychologically abusive relationships who are at risk for mental health problems, prevention of development of mental health problems, and the need for mediation path analysis of the factors explored in this study.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altshuler, L., Mintz, J., & Leight, K. (2002). The life functioning questionnaire (LFQ): a brief, gender-neutral scale assessing functional outcome. Psychiatry Research, 112(2), 161–182. doi:10.1016/s0165-1781(02)00180-4.
Banyard, V., Potter, S., & Turner, H. (2011). The impact of interpersonal violence in adulthood on women’s job satisfaction and productivity: the mediating roles of mental and physical health. Psychology of Violence, 1(1), 16–28. doi:10.1037/a0021691.
Calvete, E., Corral, S., & Estévez, A. (2007). Cognitive and coping mechanisms in the interplay between intimate partner violence and depression. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 20(4), 369–382. doi:10.1080/10615800701628850.
Calvete, E., Corral, S., & Estévez, A. (2008). Coping as a mediator and moderator between intimate partner violence and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Violence Against Women, 14(8), 886–904. doi:10.1177/1077801208320907.
Carlson, B. E., McNutt, L.-A., Choi, D. Y., & Rose, I. M. (2002). Intimate partner abuse and mental health: the role of social support and other protective factors. [article]. Violence Against Women, 8(6), 720.
Carver, C. S. (1997). You want to measure coping but your protocol’s too long: consider the brief COPE. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4(1), 92–100. doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0401_6.
Coker, A. L., Smith, P. H., Bethea, L., King, M. R., & McKeown, R. E. (2000). Physical health consequences of physical and psychological intimate partner violence. Arch Fam Med, 9(5), 451–457. doi:10.1001/archfami.9.5.451.
Dutton, M. A. (1999). Commentary: multidimensional assessment of woman battering: commentary on smith, smith, and Earp. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23(1), 195–198. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1999.tb00351.x.
Follingstad, D. R. (2009). The impact of psychological aggression on women’s mental health and behavior: the status of the field. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 10(3), 271–289. doi:10.1177/1524838009334453.
Follingstad, D. R. (2011). A measure of severe psychological abuse normed on a nationally representative sample of adults. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(6), 1194–1214. doi:10.1177/0886260510368157.
Follingstad, D. R., & DeHart, D. D. (2000). Defining psychological abuse of husbands toward wives: contexts, behaviors and typologies. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15(9), 891–920. doi:10.1177/088626000015009001.
Follingstad, D. R., & Edmundson, M. (2010). Is psychological abuse reciprocal in intimate relationships? Data from a national sample of American adults. Journal of Family Violence, 25(5), 495–508. doi:10.1007/s10896-010-9311-y.
Follingstad, D. R., & Rogers, M. (2012). Women experiencing psychological abuse: are they a homogenous group? Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 21(8), 891–916. doi:10.1080/10926771.2012.708012.
Follingstad, D. R., Rutledge, L. L., Berg, B. J., & Hause, E. S. (1990). The role of emotional abuse in physically abusive relationships. Journal of Family Violence, 5(2), 107–120. doi:10.1007/bf00978514.
Hamby, S. L., & Sugarman, D. B. (1999). Acts of psychological aggression against a partner and their relation to physical assault and gender. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 61(4), 959–970. doi:10.2307/354016.
Hazen, A. L., Connelly, C. D., Soriano, F. I., & Landsverk, J. A. (2008). Intimate partner violence and psychological functioning in Latina women. Health Care for Women International, 29(3), 282–299. doi:10.1080/07399330701738358.
IBM Corp. Released (2011). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
Iwaniec, D., Larkin, E., & Higgins, S. (2006). Research review: risk and resilience in cases of emotional abuse. Child & Family Social Work, 11(1), 73–82. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00398.x.
Jordan, C. E., Campbell, R., & Follingstad, D. (2010). Violence and women’s mental health: the impact of physical, sexual, and psychological aggression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 607–628. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-090209-151437.
Koopman, C., Ismailji, T., Palesh, O., Gore-Felton, C., Narayanan, A., Saltzman, K. M., et al. (2007). Relationships of depression to child and adult abuse and bodily pain among women Who have experienced intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22(4), 438–455. doi:10.1177/0886260506297028.
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.
Meschke, L. L., & Patterson, J. M. (2003). Resilience as a theoretical basis for substance abuse prevention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 23(4), 483–514. doi:10.1023/a:1022276511537.
Morey, L. C. (1991). Personality assessment inventory: Professional manual. Odessa: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Murphy, C. M., & Cascardi, M. (1993). Psychological aggression and abuse in marriage. In R. L. Hampton, T. P. Gullotta, G. R. Adams, E. H. Potter, & R. P. Weissberg (Eds.), Family violence: Prevention and treatment (Vol. 1). Newbury Park: Sage Publications.
Murphy, C. M., & Cascardi, M. (1999). Psychological abuse in marriage and dating relationships. In R. L. Hampton (Ed.), Family violence: Prevention and treatment (2nd ed., pp. 198–226). Beverly Hills: Sage.
Murphy, C. M., & O’Leary, K. D. (1989). Psychological aggression predicts physical aggression in early marriage. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(5), 579–582. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.57.5.579.
Noyes, R., Jr., Langbehn, D. R., Happel, R. L., Sieren, L. R., & Muller, B. A. (1999). Health attitude survey: a scale for assessing somatizing patients. Psychosomatics: Journal of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, 40(6), 470–478.
Nurius, P. S., Macy, R. J., Bhuyan, R., Holt, V. L., Kernic, M. A., & Rivara, F. P. (2003). Contextualizing depression and physical functioning in battered women: adding vulnerability and resources to the analysis. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(12), 1411–1431. doi:10.1177/0886260503258033.
O’Leary, K. D., & Jouriles, E. N. (1994). Psychological abuse between adult partners: Prevalence and impact on partners and children. In L. L'Abate (Ed.), Handbook of developmental family psychology and psychopathology (pp. 330–349). Oxford: Wiley.
O’Leary, K. D., Malone, J., & Tyree, A. (1994). Physical aggression in early marriage: prerelationship and relationship effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 594–602.
Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X. (2001). The suicidal behaviors questionnaire–revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment, 8(4), 443–454. doi:10.1177/107319110100800409.
Paulhus, D. L. (1988). Assessing self deception and impression management in self-reports: The balanced inventory of desirable responding. Vancouver: University of British Columbia.
Samelius, L., Wijma, B., Wingren, G., & Wijma, K. (2010). Lifetime history of abuse, suffering and psychological health. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 64(4), 227–232. doi:10.3109/08039480903478680.
Smith, P. H., Earp, J. A., & DeVellis, R. (1995). Measuring battering: development of the Women’s experience with battering (WEB) scale. Women’s Health Issues, 5, 173–182.
Stets, J. E. (1991). Psychological aggression in dating relationships: the role of interpersonal control. Journal of Family Violence, 6(1), 97–114. doi:10.1007/bf00978528.
Street, A. E., & Arias, I. (2001). Psychological abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women: examining the roles of shame and guilt. Violence and Victims, 16(1), 65–78.
Taft, C. T., O’Farrell, T. J., Torres, S. E., Panuzio, J., Monson, C. M., Murphy, M., et al. (2006). Examining the correlates of psychological aggression among a community sample of couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 20(4), 581–588. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.20.4.581.
Tang, C. S.-K. (1997). Psychological impact of wife abuse. (Experiences of Chinese women and their children). Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12(3), 466–478. doi:10.1177/088626097012003010.
Thompson, M. P., Kaslow, N. J., & Kingree, J. B. (2002). Risk factors for suicide attempts among African american women experiencing recent intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 17(3), 283–295.
Ullman, S. E. (2000). Psychometric characteristics of the social reactions questionnaire: a measure of reactions to sexual assault victims. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24(3), 257–271. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2000.tb00208.x.
Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner's guide. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rogers, M.J., Follingstad, D.R. Women’s Exposure to Psychological Abuse: Does That Experience Predict Mental Health Outcomes?. J Fam Viol 29, 595–611 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9621-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9621-6