Resumen

COSTALES ZAVGORODNIAYA, Anna I.  y  ARGUELLO YONFA, Erick D.. Somatization, anxiety and depression in women victims of intimate partner violence. Interdisciplinaria [online]. 2023, vol.40, n.1, pp.172-189.  Epub 15-Jun-2022. ISSN 1668-7027.  http://dx.doi.org/10.16888/interd.2023.40.1.11.

Various studies have noticed that women victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) also report having various types of health-related problems. However, health systems do not appear to have established procedures to recognize these problems (i. e., psychophysiological) in women. This study assessed somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depressive characteristics in women who have been victims of IPV. These symptoms were assessed using the scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). The sample consisted of 50 women victims of IPV from the Ecuadorian sierra. Group participants came from two different cities: the first group included 28 women victims of IPV from Riobamba. Their ages ranged from 15 to 58. These women were receiving psychological services from a not-for-profit organization in the city. The second group included 22 women with similar characteristics between the ages of 27-63. This group of women came from the southern regions of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Women in this group were receiving services from two different places offering help to women experiencing IPV. Sixteen percent of women reported having a medium level of “anxiety” (some level of stress), and 14 % reported having a high level of tension and stress. Thirty-four percent of women reported medium levels of “anxiety-related disorders”. These women reported having specific fears, little confidence in themselves and negative perspectives of their future. Sixteen percent of the women reported high levels of anxiety. They reported imitations in daily life (i. e., specific fears and feelings of insecurity in social situations). Thirty percent of women reported having medium levels of “depression” (sensitivity, pessimism, and feeling unhappy part of the time). Eighteen percent of women reported having high levels of “depression” (notable unhappiness and dysphoria). Forty-four percent of women in this study reported having some type of physical problem. These findings suggest that women who are victims of IPV could benefit from receiving mental health services aimed at managing their tension, stress, specific fears, and symptoms of depression. They also suggest that women victims of IPV could benefit from receiving training to increase their social competency and medical assistance to address their somatic complaints. Findings in this study are somewhat divergent from the results observed in previous investigations. Previous studies identified that most women who experienced IPV report symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, in this study, only a relatively low percentage of women reported having these symptoms. The sole utilization of the PAI as a method of evaluation may not have been sufficient to identify these symptoms. These results suggest the importance of using qualitative methods (i. e., clinical interview) or more holistic methodologies (i. e., clinical interview and tests) to better assess mental health symptoms in this group of women. It is also possible that the PAI might not be the most adequate tool to assess these symptoms in this population. The results of this investigation do reveal the importance of evaluating other mental health symptoms in women victims of IPV: post-traumatic stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Future studies should focus on assessing these symptoms using other assessment methodologies (e. g. instruments designed to assess post-traumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorder). The efficiency of health systems evaluations and interventions depends on the methodologies used to assess problems. The sole use of one instrument such as the PAI may not provide sufficient information about symptoms experienced by women experiencing IPV. Health systems should use batteries of instruments in conjunction with the clinical interviewing processes to readily assess symptoms. However, such an alternative may not be entirely feasible taking into account that such methodology requires more time and likely financial support to acquire tests.

Palabras clave : Women victims of violence; intimate partner violence (IPV); somatization; anxiety and depression..

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