The Correlation Between Domestic Violence And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Based On Community Women Sample In Wuhan

Objective: To understand the prevalence of domestic violence(DV) in Wuhan, China, to explore the possible risk factors of domestic violence and the correlation between domestic violence and posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD), and to improve the mental health status of women.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community health service center in Wuhan, participants were women who came to the center for gynecological examination. Demographic characteristics, social support, epidemiological characteristics of domestic violence and PTSD were surveyed. Chi-square test, student-t test, Wilcoxon rank test, and Cochran-Armitage trend test were employed to compare distribution of each characteristic variable between DV and no-DV group, PTSD and no-PTSD group. Binary logistic regression was used to understand the possible risk factors of domestic violence, and to determine the correlation between domestic violence and PTSD.Results: A total of 1085 questionnaires were collected. Among them 1015 women were surveyed effectively, these women account for 93.5% of all obtained questionnaires. 1. The prevalence rate of domestic violence was 29.36%. The prevalence rates of psychological violence, physical violence and sexual violence were 28.28%, 6.60%, and 3.55%, respectively. The incidence of domestic violence within one year was 12.20%, and the life-time incidence rate was 26.11%.2. The possible risk factors of domestic violence by logistic regression analysis are passive smoking(OR=2.05,95%CI=1.51, 2.78), living in self-building(OR=2.56,95%CI=1.22, 5.35) or one-bedroom apartment(OR=2.21,95%CI=1.17, 4.19)(reference group: three-bedroom apartment), abortion history(OR=1.68,95%CI=1.21,2.33), overweight or obesity of husband(OR=1.39,95%CI=1.01,1.94), suffering from bodily injury accidentally(OR=2.75,95%CI=1.67,4.53), more son(OR=1.55,95%CI=1.17,2.04), lower quality of sleep(OR=1.30,95%CI=1.08,1.57). Protective factors were Husband’s higher education(OR=0.82,95%CI=0.70,0.97) and higher social support level(OR=0.35,95%CI=0.28,0.44). 3. The prevalence of PTSD was 4.73%. Results showed that the women who suffered from domestic violence were 2.11 times more likely to have PTSD(OR=2.11, 95%CI=1.04, 4.29); the women who suffered from physical and psychological violence at the same time had higher prevalence(27.66%) to have PTSD, these women were 5.06 times more likely to have PTSD(OR=5.06, 95%CI=1.91, 13.42); in Cochran-Armitage trend test, when the number of types of the violence increased from 0 to 1, >=2, the prevalence of PTSD also increased(P<0.0001), Women who suffered from more types of domestic violence would more likely to have PTSD(OR=1.95, 95%CI=1.25, 3.03). Compare the score of PCL-C and its three subscales(including re-experience, avoidance, and hyper arousal) between DV and no-DV group, women who suffered from domestic violence had a higher score compared to the no-DV women(P<0.0001).Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic violence in women from Wuhan, China was common. We might decrease the occurrence of the possible risk factors of domestic violence to control it. There was a strong correlation between domestic violence and PTSD. The prevalence of domestic violence especially physical and psychological violence, or the number of types of violence should be reduced to decrease PTSD possibly.