The moderating effect of women's alcohol misuse on the relationship between intimate partner violence victimization and postpartum depression.

Abstract

We examined the moderating effect of women's alcohol misuse on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and postpartum depression. Self-report data were collected from 122 women. Analyses controlled for women's baseline depression severity and partner alcohol misuse. Women's alcohol misuse moderated the relationship between psychological IPV victimization and postpartum depression only at high levels of the moderator. Findings highlight the mental health risk posed by the combination of psychological IPV and alcohol misuse postpartum. Findings emphasize the need to investigate the understudied topic of women's postpartum alcohol misuse.