The Psychological Impact of Physical Assault by Husbands and its Role in Instigating Wives’ Suicide: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates differences in terms of the psychological problems and suicidal ideation between women who were victims of physical assault by their husbands and those who were not subject to it in Jordan.
 Methods: The study sample consists of 102 women; 51 women were subject to abuse by their husbands whereas 51 women were not. The study uses seven sub-scales of the second issue of the computerized, multi-aspect personality test, namely depression, psychopathic deviation, psychasthenia, anxiety, Kane’s post-traumatic disorder, Schlinger’s post-traumatic disorder, and suicidal thoughts.
 Results: The results of the current study show that there are statistically significant differences between women who were hit by their husbands and those who were not, favoring women who were physically assaulted. Differences between the two types of women apply to all aspects of the study (depression, suicidal thoughts, psychopathic deviation, psychasthenia, Kane’s post-traumatic disorder, Schlinger’s post-traumatic disorder, and anxiety).
 Conclusions: The study reveals that physical assault by husbands constitutes an important motive for wives’ suicide. Despite the fact that many Arab and non-Arab studies deal with issues of abuse and violence against women, the current study is unique in the sense that it is the only one in the region that examines the impact of this physical assault on the psyche of women, showing that the differences are in favor of women who were victims of their husbands’ abuse in comparison to women who were not.