Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Upon Admission to Shelters Among Female Victims of Domestic Violence: An Ecological Model of Trauma

Cognitive Flexibility and Emotion Regulation in Eating Disorder Patients with Comorbid Generalized Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Research has found that difficulties in emotion regulation negatively impact mental health, whereas cognitive flexibility may promote stress resilience and positive mental health. Little is known about cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation in people with comorbid eating disorder (ED) and anxiety and stress disorders. A transdiagnostic ED population (N = 227 ) at an outpatient ED treatment facility completed several self-report instruments that measured cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation difficulties, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms upon admission. We investigated cognitive flexibility and emotion regulation differences for those with an ED without comorbidity and those with various combinations of comorbidity. In a one-way between-groups ANOVA, we investigated differences in cognitive flexibility for those with GAD, PTSD, neither, and both comorbidities. We found a statistically significant difference between these groups, with mean cognitive flexibility inventory scores being the lowest in the group with both comorbidities. However, when controlling for emotion regulation, a one-way between-groups ANCOVA indicated no significant differences in cognitive flexibility between comorbidity groups F ( 3 , 222 ) = 1.20 , p = . 31 Partial η 2 = . 02 . Though self-reported cognitive flexibility levels differ among ED patients with and without comorbidities, it appears that these differences are better explained by emotion regulation. Therefore, addressing emotion regulation early in treatment for all individuals with EDs, regardless of comorbidity. Further research is needed to understand the impact of treating emotion regulation on ED treatment engagement, dropout, and effectiveness.

"If He Were a Terrorist, You Would Have Caught Him Already": The Experience of Divorce Denial Among Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

This study aimed to advance knowledge about separation abuse-and, specifically, divorce denial-and its implications for the well-being of survivors, by applying the conservation of resources (COR) theory. Data were collected from 15 Israeli female survivors of intimate partner violence who were denied divorce over a period lasting between 1 and 12 years. The findings revealed the participants' perceived detrimental effects of divorce denial on their well-being through multiple losses-in terms of autonomy, spiritual and relational, institutional, and financial resources. These findings suggest the need to assess and address the effects of resource loss in separation abuse interventions.

The effect of exposure to intimate partner violence of female nurses on communication skills and burnout levels

PURPOSE

Although intimate partner violence is a type of violence that women are frequently exposed to, its victims are adversely affected by violence at various levels, bio-psycho-socially. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between exposure to spousal violence, communication skills and burnout levels in female nurses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was carried out in a descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The study was conducted in a university hospital in the Black Sea region of Turkey in September 2021. Sample selection was not made in the study, and female nurses who agreed to participate in the study were included in the study. The study's sample size is 165 female nurses. A personal Information Form, Intimate Partner Violence Scale, Communication Skills Scale, and Burnout Scale were used to collect data.

FINDINGS

It was concluded that the exposure of female nurses to spouse violence significantly affects their communication skills and there is a significant relationship between nurses' communication skills and burnout levels (P = 0.001).

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The attitudes and behaviors of nurses who are strong in the caregiving process are very important. Personal characteristics, communication styles and body language of nurses who are exposed to partner violence are reflected in nursing care practices and affect the caregiving process. In this context, prevention and intervention approaches for intimate partner violence of female nurses should be known.

Personal Growth and Life Satisfaction during Fertility Treatment-A Comparison between Arab and Jewish Women

Coping with difficulty conceiving and the ensuing fertility treatments is a stressful experience that impacts many aspects of women's lives. On the basis of Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress and coping and Schaefer and Moos's model of personal growth, and in view of the sparse literature on cultural aspects of infertility and personal growth, this study examined the relationship between stress on the one hand and personal growth and life satisfaction on the other among Arab and Jewish Israeli women. Furthermore, it investigated the moderating role played by perceived stigma, coping flexibility, cultural orientation (individualism and collectivism), and ethnicity. Two hundred five Arab and Jewish Israeli women undergoing fertility treatment completed self-report questionnaires. The results show that Arab women reported higher levels of personal growth and individualism than Jewish women. In the whole sample, a linear negative relationship was found between stress and life satisfaction, and a curvilinear relationship was found between stress and personal growth. In addition, perceived stigma, collectivism, individualism, and coping flexibility were found to moderate the association between perceived stress and personal growth. The findings provide further understanding of personal growth in the context of infertility, showing that personal resources and perceptions are more important than cultural differences in this regard.

Hyper-Sensitivity to the Perpetrator and the Likelihood of Returning to Abusive Relationships

STUDY QUESTIONS

Although most women who are subjected to intimate partner violence attempt to leave their abusive partners, many return, and resultantly are at risk for even greater violence. Research to date has documented relations between several factors (income and economic dependence, frequency of intimate partner violence (IPV), fear of violence escalations, history of childhood abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms) and women's returning to their abusive partners. Nevertheless, the contribution of women's emotional bonds with their violent partners, known as identification with the aggressor (IWA), in explaining their perceived likelihood of going back to the relationship, has remained unclear.

SUBJECTS

The current study, conducted among 258 Israeli women who had left their violent partners, aimed to fill this void.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted. Demographic variables, history of childhood abuse, frequency of IPV, economic dependence on former partner, fear of future violence escalation, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, IWA, and perceived likelihood of returning to the relationship, were assessed via self-report questionnaire.

FINDINGS

Results indicated that two aspects of IWA-becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator and adopting the perpetrator's experience-were related to women's perceived likelihood of returning to the relationship. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis indicated that only two factors-income and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator-uniquely contributed to explaining the likelihood of returning to abusive partners. Major implications: The current findings suggest that women's tendency to be highly attuned to their partners' feelings and needs, as a part of IWA, may impede their ability to permanently leave abusive relationships.

Painful bonds: Identification with the aggressor and distress among IPV survivors

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem that often results in a variety of mental health detriments, including trauma-related distress and depressive symptoms. According to the trauma literature, IPV victims may develop strong bonds with their perpetrators - a phenomenon known as identification with the aggressor (IWA) - in order to survive the abuse. Yet, this defensive reaction may endure after the abuse has ended, and may adversely affect victims' mental health. Nevertheless, research exploring these suppositions is lacking. Filling this void, this study investigated IWA in light of current versus past IPV as well as the relations between IWA, trauma-related distress, and depressive symptoms among a convenience sample of 297 women. Of them, 68 and 229 participants reported being subjected to IPV at present or in the past, respectively. Results indicated that whereas participants who reported current IPV had elevated trauma-related distress and depressive symptoms compared to participants who reported past IPV, no differences were found in IWA levels between the groups. Identification with the aggressor was related to trauma-related distress and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, IWA had a unique contribution in explaining trauma-related distress and depressive symptoms above and beyond background characteristics and IPV features. The findings of the current study suggest that IWA may mirror the unique relational dynamics that characterize IPV, which continue to exist even after the abuse ends, and may be implicated in IPV survivors' psychological distress.

Association between elder abuse and telomere shortening in older adults: A 2-year prospective study

BACKGROUNDS

Elder abuse is a public health issue associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its impact on victims' health at the cellular level, however, remains unknown. This study assessed the association between abuse exposure and shortening of telomere length (TL), a promising molecular marker for biological aging, in older victims.

SETTING

The geriatric departments of three Grade-A hospitals in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred Chinese older adults, including 300 abused victims and 300 non-abused controls were randomly drawn respectively from a larger sample of 467 abused and 518 non-abused older adults recruited at baseline. Participants were assessed for physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline between September 2015 and February 2016 and assessed for TL 2 years after the abuse assessment.

MEASUREMENTS

TL was quantified using a quantitative PCR method and expressed as T/S ratio (the ratio of telomere repeat copy numbers to single-copy gene numbers). Physical and psychological abuse was measured using the Revised Conflicts Tactics Scale.

RESULTS

Adjusting for demographic, medical, and behavioral confounders, physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline were independently associated with shorter TL at follow-up. The association was the most significant between multiple forms of abuse (physical and psychological) exposure and shorter TL.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the first evidence on the relationship between abuse and shortened TL in older victims, implying the potential effect of elder abuse on accelerated cellular aging. The findings suggest the importance of routinely assessing and intervening abuse in older adults by healthcare professionals, to promote and maintain physical health in older adults.

From Physical Violence to Intensified Economic Abuse: Transitions Between the Types of IPV Over Survivors' Life Courses

Scholars of intimate partner violence (IPV) cite the various forms of IPV perpetrated by violent male partners to establish their coercive control over women. This scholarship emphasizes IPV's long-term destructive effects on survivors' lives. However, until recently, the role of the state in the relationship between different manifestations of IPV has received little attention, leaving hazy the meaning of absent formal legislation. An opportunity to clarify the significance of this condition lies in Israel, where economic abuse is not yet recognized as grounds for legal and social sanctions. Based on in-depth interviews with 33 IPV survivors, the present study explores state actions involved in transitions between types of violence as revealed in cases of ongoing economic abuse.