Intimate Partner Violence and Women's Depression Before and During Pregnancy

Abstract

Depressive symptoms of 95 prenatal care patients were examined relative to the women's experiences of intimate partner violence. Women who were victims of psychological aggression during the year before pregnancy were not at elevated risk for depression except when the psychological aggression was very frequent. However, during pregnancy, psychological aggression was more closely tied to women's depression levels, regardless of its frequency. In addition, women who experienced any level of physical assault or sexual coercion by their intimate partners (before or during pregnancy) had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to nonvictims.