Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Exposure to interpersonal violence as a predictor of PTSD symptomatology in domestic violence survivors
Other Titles:	Journal of interpersonal violence
Authors:	Madry, Lorraine Primm, Beny J Griffing, Sascha Lewis, Carla S Chu, Melissa Sage, Robert E
Keywords:	Sexual assault;Child protection;Impact on children and young people;Mental health
Year:	2006
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	21 (7), July 2006
Notes:	This US article presents the results of a study that examined the interrelationships between childhood abuse, exposure to maternal domestic violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Sample is made up of a 111 multi-ethnic, adult female survivors from a domestic violence shelter. Participants completed structured interviews about the domestic violence, their prior exposure to violence and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. It found that there was high co-occurrence between exposure to maternal domestic violence and childhood physical and sexual abuse, and the frequency of lifetime violence exposure predicted PTSD symptomatology. Participants who had witnessed maternal domestic violence were also more likely to have been sexually and physically abused in childhood. It found that the relationship between maternal domestic violence and child physical abuse is consistent with the literature which indicates that children in violent homes are at greater risk of being physically abused. It also found a highly significant relationship between witnessing maternal domestic violence and child sexual abuse as 63% of domestic violence survivors who had witnessed maternal domestic violence also reported a history child sexual abuse. Multiple regressions showed a complex pattern of relationships, where specific forms of prior violence exposure predicted different PTSD symptom dimensions. A history of witnessing maternal domestic violence predicted intrusion symptoms, and a history of childhood sexual abuse predicted hyperarousal symptoms. It found ethnicity was not related to violence exposure levels or to PTSD symptoms. Clinical implications are outlined.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/14695
ISSN:	0886-2605
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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