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L'influence de la multivictimisation et des traumatismes récurrents sur la santé mentale des femmes, leur consommation de substance et leur recours à l'agression

English title The impact of polyvictimization and cumulative trauma on women's mental health, substance abuse, and use of aggression
Applicant Jaquier Erard Véronique
Number 131842
Funding scheme Fellowships for prospective researchers
Research institution Department of Psychiatry Yale University
Institution of higher education Institution abroad - IACH
Main discipline Legal sciences
Start/End 01.01.2011 - 31.12.2011
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All Disciplines (2)

Discipline
Legal sciences
Psychology

Keywords (6)

intimate partner violence; polyvictimization; cumulative trauma; PTSD; substance abuse; women's use of violence

Lay Summary (English)

Lead
Lay summary
Research has shown that childhood abuse is related to adult depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, adult intimate partner violence [IPV] has deleterious effects on mental health and psychological adjustment and can lead to depressive and posttraumatic symptoms in particular. Such public health concern is increased, as physical and sexual victimization are associated with drug and alcohol abuse, a finding corroborated by numerous studies. Even though these associations are well documented, little is known about the mechanisms in action and the temporality of these interactions.

This issue is particularly worrying, as IPV not only encompasses several forms of violence, but also as most victims report having been abused in more than one intimate relationship. Therefore childhood abuse puts women doubly at risk, not only for adult IPV, but also for later psychological difficulties. Such difficulties are also observed among women using violence in intimate relationships. Yet, few studies have examined women's use of violence in relation to psychological symptoms in general, or to depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in particular. While research has documented that posttraumatic symptoms are more serious when occurring in the context of repeat victimization or revictimisation, the different repetition patterns have not necessarily been differentiated. This postdoctoral research project aims at studying the impact of repetition patterns on women's mental health, substance use, and use of aggression in intimate relationships. It is expected that depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms as well as substance abuse will be more frequent in case of repeat victimization or revictimisation, whereas polyvictimisation should only have a minor influence.

The profiles and life experiences of 180 women part of a convenience sample will be analyzed in a longitudinal research design, which is ideal to study victimization repetition patterns and their impact on women's mental health, substance abuse, and use of aggression. Several composite measures will be used throughout the study; data collected include the measure of: substance-use history and severity of substance-related problems; substance use and other Axis I diagnoses; psychological, physical and sexual IPV; child abuse; IPV in past relationships; daily drug and alcohol use; and daily IPV episodes.

Data will be used to assess the complex relationships between women's victimization, mental health and use of aggression, controlling for the forms of violence and the number of violent episodes over both the three-month reference period and across the women's lifespan.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 21.02.2013

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Publications

Publication
Fear of past abusive partner(s) impacts current posttraumatic stress among women experiencing partner violence
Jaquier V., Sullivan T. P. (2014), Fear of past abusive partner(s) impacts current posttraumatic stress among women experiencing partner violence, in Violence Against Women, 20(2), 208-227.
Is it the exception or the rule? Daily co-occurrence de physical, sexual, and psychological victimization in a 90-day study of community women
Sullivan T. P., MacPartland T., Armeli S., Jaquier V., Tennen H. (2012), Is it the exception or the rule? Daily co-occurrence de physical, sexual, and psychological victimization in a 90-day study of community women, in Psychology of Violence, 2(2), 154-164.
Risk factors for alcohol problems in victims of partner violence
Sullivan T. P., Ashare R., Jaquier V., Tennen H. (2012), Risk factors for alcohol problems in victims of partner violence, in Substance Use and Misuse, 47(6), 673-685.

Collaboration

Group / person Country
Types of collaboration
Yale University School of Medicine United States of America (North America)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure

Scientific events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Title of article or contribution Date Place Persons involved
American Society of Criminology Conference Talk given at a conference Fear of partner in past relationships, current partner violence, mental health and substance use 16.11.2011 Washington DC, USA, United States of America Jaquier Erard Véronique;


Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
140055 Stress posttraumatique, conduites d'addiction et recours à la violence associés aux expériences de victimisation des femmes 01.01.2012 Fellowships for prospective researchers

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