Risk factors for intimate partner violence victimization across 8 years: Contributions of the posttraumatic stress symptom domains.

OBJECTIVE: Although much remains unknown about what creates risk for women's intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization across time, trauma exposure and mental health are likely contributors. Specifically, posttraumatic stress (PTS) is a risk factor for IPV victimization, yet we know less about the unique contributions of PTS symptom domains to IPV risk. Identification of PTS symptom domains that confer risk for IPV has the potential to inform novel targets of intervention. METHOD: This study follows women with children (N = 118) across 8 years to identify the trauma exposure, mental health, and sociodemographic factors that contribute to IPV victimization risk using longitudinal multilevel modeling. RESULTS: Higher levels of PTS symptoms were associated with initially greater number of IPV victimization acts experienced (i.e., "IPV victimization"). However, across time, women with higher PTS symptoms decreased more quickly in IPV victimization than those with lower PTS symptoms. Higher levels of PTS arousal and reexperiencing were each associated with initially higher levels of IPV victimization. In addition, higher levels of PTS reexperiencing and arousal remained associated with higher levels of IPV victimization across time. Women's age was inversely related to IPV victimization over time only when accounting for the PTS symptom domains. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are that collapsing PTS symptoms into an overall construct may be too imprecise to identify key mechanisms for IPV victimization risk. IPV prevention should prioritize addressing reexperiencing and arousal symptoms to curb future IPV victimization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining mechanisms linking economic insecurity to interparental conflict among couples with low income.

Objective: The current study used the family stress model to test the mechanisms by which economic insecurity contributes to mothers' and fathers' mental health and couples' relationship functioning. Background: Although low household income has been a focus of poverty research, material hardship-defined as everyday challenges related to making ends meet including difficulties paying for housing, utilities, food, or medical care-is common among American families. Methods: Participants were from the Building Strong Families project. Couples were racially diverse (43.52% Black; 28.88% Latinx; 17.29% White; 10.31% Other) and living with low income (N = 2,794). Economic insecurity included income poverty and material hardship. Bayesian mediation analysis was employed, taking advantage of the prior evidence base of the family stress model. Results: Material hardship, but not income poverty, predicted higher levels of both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms. Only paternal depressive symptoms were linked with higher levels of destructive interparental conflict (i.e., moderate verbal aggression couples use that could be harmful to the partner relationship). Mediation analysis confirmed that material hardship operated primarily through paternal depressive symptoms in its association with destructive interparental conflict. Conclusion: The economic stress of meeting the daily material needs of the family sets the stage for parental mental health problems that carry over to destructive interparental conflict, especially through paternal depressive symptoms. Implications: Family-strengthening programs may want to consider interventions to address material hardship (e.g., comprehensive needs assessments, connections to community-based resources, parents' employment training) as part of their efforts to address parental mental health and couples' destructive conflict behaviors.

Gender Inequality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Associations with Parental Physical Abuse and Moderation by Child Gender.

Gender inequality perpetuates women's economic insecurity and a culture of violence. Parental distress caused by economic pressure may increase violence against children. High levels of gender inequality and interpersonal violence may contribute to higher levels of physical abuse. Using an ecological perspective, this study examines the association of country-level gender inequality and household-level parental physical abuse, and the moderating role of child gender in this association in low- and middle-income countries. We used data on over 420,000 households from the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and country-level indicators from the United Nations Development Program Human Development data. We employed multilevel logistic regression to examine the association between gender inequality with the log-odds of physical abuse after accounting for country- and individual-level covariates. In order to more fully explore our results, we calculated predicted probabilities of abuse for several scenarios. The results indicated that higher levels of gender inequality were associated with higher probabilities of physical abuse. This association was stronger for female children than for male children. The probabilities of abuse by child gender were indistinguishable, although rates of physical abuse converged as gender inequality increased, at a statistically marginal level. These findings indicate that macro-level interventions that reduce gender inequality are necessary to prevent and reduce child physical abuse.

The association between spanking and physical abuse of young children in 56 low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Nearly one third of children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience spanking. Studies from North America suggest that spanking is associated with heightened risk of physical abuse. However, the link between spanking and physical abuse in the international context remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between caregivers' spanking and physical abuse of young children in LMICs, and to estimate the extent to which physical abuse might be reduced if spanking were eliminated. PARTICIPANTS: We used nationally representative data from 156,166 1- to 4-year-old children in 56 LMICs from the fourth and fifth rounds of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. METHODS: A nationally weighted multilevel logistic regression model examined the association between spanking and physical abuse. We calculated predicted probabilities of physical abuse, which we present using natural frequencies. RESULTS: Spanking was associated with higher odds of physical abuse (OR = 5.74, p < .001). The predicted probability of physical abuse decreased by 14% comparing children who were spanked (22%) and who were not spanked (8%). When our estimates were translated to a hypothetical sample of 100 children using a natural frequency approach, 32 children were spanked; of those, seven experienced physical abuse. The elimination of spanking would result in four fewer children who were exposed to physical abuse. In relation to the population of abused children, estimates suggest that physical abuse could reduce by up to 33% if spanking were eliminated. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the UN Sustainable Development Goals Target 16.2 that calls for eliminating all forms of violence against children. Child welfare advocates should discourage caregivers from using spanking, in order to prevent physical abuse.

Infant Distress in a Food Delay Task Changes With Development and Predicts Amount Consumed.

Objective: Eating behavior regulation emerges during early development and involves general self-regulation (emotional, behavioral), appetite regulation (homeostatic metabolic need) and appetite self-regulation (including both Bottom-Up Food Approach and Bottom-Up Food Avoidance and top-down purposeful self-control of eating). Limited research has investigated developmental trajectories of the regulation of eating behavior before the preschool years. The current study used a novel food delay task to assess infant distress as an early emerging marker of eating behavior regulation constructs across early infancy and examine associations with amount of milk consumed. Method: Mother-infant dyads (n = 179) completed the Ability to Delay Gratification for Food in Infants Task (ATDG-FIT) at 2 weeks, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks of age. The ATDG-FIT required infants to wait before being fed while their bottle was present, but not accessible (3-min Pre-Feeding Delay). After this, the infant was fed for 1 min, then the feeding was paused for 30 s (Mid-Feeding Delay). Infant distress was coded during each feeding delay period and the amount of milk consumed was measured. Results: The mean proportion of distress during the Pre-Feeding Delay period decreased from 8 to 16 weeks of age (F(2,230) = 15.02, p < 0.001), whereas the mean proportion of distress during the Mid-Feeding Delay increased from 2 to 8 weeks of age (F(2,230) = 27.04, p < 0.001). There was a positive interaction between distress during Mid-Feeding Delay and infant age predicting the amount consumed in the protocol (ß = 0.30, p = 0.022), suggesting that the association between distress during this part of the task and amount consumed strengthens as infants get older. Conclusion: The ATDG-FIT may be an effective method to assess emerging eating behavior regulation constructs during early infancy.

Patterns of caregiver aggressive and nonaggressive discipline toward young children in low- and middle-income countries: A latent class approach.

BACKGROUND: Caregivers use a variety of disciplinary methods to respond to undesired child behavior. Many caregivers use nonaggressive forms of discipline, such as verbal reasoning and redirection. Some caregivers use aggressive forms of discipline, such as spanking and yelling. However, most caregivers use a combination of aggressive and nonaggressive discipline. To date, a disproportionately small number of caregiver discipline studies are conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and few studies in low-resource contexts examine aggressive and nonaggressive behaviors simultaneously. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate caregiver patterns of 11 disciplinary behaviors used in LMICs, and examine how these patterns relate to child outcomes and household characteristics. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data came from the fourth and fifth rounds of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) distributed between 2009 and 2017 (N = 218,824 respondents across 63 countries). Focal children were 3-4 years old. METHODS: Patterns of disciplinary behaviors were estimated using a multilevel latent class analysis (LCA). Multinomial regression analyses examined associations of disciplinary patterns with caregiver-reported child outcomes and household characteristics. RESULTS: The LCA suggested caregiver discipline fell into three overall patterns: high behavioral control, moderate behavior control, and lower behavioral control. The lower behavioral control class was associated with the most advantageous child outcomes and household socio-demographic characteristics, whereas the high behavioral control class was associated with the most disadvantageous child outcomes and household characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be employed to reduce aggressive behaviors and promote positive parenting among caregivers in LMICs.

Longitudinal Correlates of Maternal Involvement and Spanking in Spanish-speaking Latinas Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence.

Mothers experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) have been found to have negative long-term parenting outcomes, such as reduced maternal involvement and greater use of physical punishment, which represent potential pathways by which IPV negatively affects children. Factors influencing these parenting practices have not been examined in IPV-exposed Latinas. The aim of this study is to understand the factors that affect maternal involvement and spanking by Latinas to contribute to culturally-informed intervention development and refinement. A total of 93 Spanish-speaking Latinas who had experienced IPV completed standardized measures of maternal involvement, spanking, IPV, depression, and posttraumatic stress (PTS) and provided demographic information. Slightly over half of the women participated in an intervention program. Longitudinal multilevel modeling (MLM) demonstrated that higher levels of maternal depression predicted lower levels of involvement over time. PTS reexperiencing symptoms were positively related to involvement, such that mothers with higher levels of reexperiencing reported higher levels of involvement. An independent longitudinal MLM revealed that higher amounts of IPV exposure and higher levels of PTS arousal symptoms were associated with higher levels of spanking, while maternal employment was associated with lower levels of this same parenting behavior. Maternal involvement increased over time, where there was no significant change in spanking over time, and no effect of the intervention program on either parenting practice. Results suggest clinical interventions should target reductions in depression and specific PTS symptom subdomains as pathways to improving parenting in IPV-exposed Latinas. Continued study is needed to understand the relationship between reexperiencing and maternal involvement.

Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization by Multiple Partners Over a Period of 8 Years.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social issue with broad physical and mental health implications. Although 35%-56% of women report IPV victimization with more than one violent partner, few studies have identified factors that increase the risk of experiencing IPV across multiple partners (i.e., IPV reengagement). In the current study, multilevel modeling was used to examine the roles of trauma exposure, mental health, and sociodemographic factors in the risk for reengagement in a sample of women (N = 120) with IPV victimization. Participants were drawn from a randomized control trial of an intervention for mothers who had experienced IPV. The results revealed that more psychological but less sexual IPV was associated with increased reengagement. Higher degrees of posttraumatic reexperiencing symptoms were associated with less reengagement. Depressive symptoms were also significantly associated with reengagement such that lower levels of positive affect and increased somatic symptoms were associated with increased reengagement. Higher income levels and less housing instability were associated with more reengagement, ßrange = -.13-.16. Finally, compared to the control condition, participation in the intervention program was significantly associated with lower levels of reengagement at 8-year follow-up, ß = -.75, p = .001. These findings suggest that it is not what happened (i.e., experiences of abuse) but rather a woman's posttraumatic experience (i.e., posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms) that creates risk for reengagement. The findings support the long-term effectiveness of a brief intervention in reducing reengagement.

Preschoolers' Intimate Partner Violence Exposure and Their Speeded Control Abilities Eight Years Later: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis.

Executive functioning (EF), or a set of related cognitive skills that facilitate goal-oriented behavior, is a critical aspect of adaptive development. Mounting research indicates that exposure to environmental threats during the preschool years jeopardizes EF; however, the extent and mechanisms through which early exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) influences children's EF are unknown. Using data from an eight-year longitudinal investigation of mothers who had experienced IPV and their preschool-aged children (N = 120), this study examined the relative influence of recent and remote IPV exposure on speeded control-a component of EF influenced by processing speed-in late childhood. Results indicated that preschoolers' IPV exposure had a significant negative impact on their speeded control eight years later, and this relation was mediated by the remote effects of IPV on their mothers. Specifically, IPV was positively associated with maternal depression, which in turn contributed to greater use of negative parenting strategies when children were of preschool age. Children's IPV exposure during late childhood was not predictive of their concurrent speeded control. These findings lend further evidence to the notion that the preschool years are a sensitive period for the mastery of EF skills and that IPV exposure is a distinct risk factor that can have protracted effects on children's cognitive development. Further, this study points to modifiable environmental risk factors, which, through targeted prevention and intervention efforts, could promote EF across the lifespan.

Investigating the effects of the Moms' Empowerment Program on 8-year traumatic stress symptom trajectories in women with histories of IPV.

OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing issue, affecting nearly one-third of women in the U.S. over their lifetimes, and has been linked with a number of deleterious outcomes, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although IPV is often chronic, few studies have prospectively examined trajectories of PTSD symptoms (PTSS) in this population. The goal of the present study was to assess the effects of the Moms' Empowerment Program-an IPV-specific intervention; as well as trauma exposure, domestic violence (DV) shelter use, and depression symptoms on PTSS trajectories in women with histories of IPV. METHOD: Data were drawn from a sample of 118 women who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention specifically designed for women and children experiencing IPV. Sixty-seven women from the original sample completed an assessment 8 years following the conclusion of the intervention. RESULTS: On average, women's PTSS decreased over time. Intervention group assignment did not affect these trajectories; however, women who attended more sessions had significantly fewer PTSS at the 8-year follow-up. Greater IPV exposure, higher depression symptoms, and shelter use were all associated with higher PTSS over time, with some variation across PTSS subdomains. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide preliminary evidence that brief intervention may have long-term effects. They also demonstrate how addressing ongoing IPV and concurrent symptoms of depression is likely an essential component of treating PTSS in this population. Finally, these results underscore the need for more research on relations between formal DV services and mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Contributions to Depressed Affect in Latina Women: Examining the Effectiveness of the Moms' Empowerment Program.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant social and public health problem that includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats of physical or sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression by an intimate partner. Estimates suggest that 35% of Latinas living in the United States experience IPV in their lifetime, with known severe negative outcomes. One mental health consequence of concern is depression, which disproportionately affects IPV-exposed Latinas. The present study tested the effectiveness of the Moms' Empowerment Program (MEP), a culturally adapted intervention to reduce depressive symptoms among IPV-exposed Spanish-speaking Latina mothers. Additional psychosocial predictors of levels of depressed affect over time are examined, including levels of post-traumatic stress, IPV exposure, positive parenting, parental acceptance of children's negative emotions, and maternal employment. Participants (N = 72) were assigned to a treatment or a wait-list comparison condition, and those in the treatment group completed a 10-week group intervention addressing the unique problems associated with IPV exposure, mental health, and parenting among Spanish-speaking Latinas. Results of multilevel modeling revealed that participation in the MEP was associated with significant reductions in depressed affect. Lower levels of post-traumatic stress and higher levels of positive parenting, maternal acceptance of children's negative emotions, and maternal employment predicted lower levels of depressed affect. The amount of total IPV exposure was not significantly associated with the extent of depressed affect. The MEP represents a culturally tailored, evidence-based intervention to reduce depressed affect among Spanish-speaking Latinas. The clinical implications of the additional predictors of levels of depressed affect are discussed.

Physical Punishment and Child Externalizing Behavior: Comparing American Indian, White, and African American Children.

This study examined if, compared to White and African American children, maternal spanking of American Indian children was associated with child externalizing behavior problems. Using a community-based sample of 3,632 children (1,183 White, 2,183 African American, 266 American Indian), multiple-group autoregressive cross-lagged models examined the associations between maternal spanking and child externalizing behavior across the first 5 years of life. Rates of spanking for American Indian and White children were similar at all three time points (age 1, age 3, and age 5). When comparing White and American Indian groups, maternal spanking at age 1 predicted child externalizing behavior at age 3 (White: ß = .10, p < .001; American Indian: ß = .08, p < .01), and maternal spanking at age 3 predicted child externalizing behavior at age 5 (White: ß = .09, p < .05; American Indian: ß = .08, p < .01). When comparing African American and American Indian groups, maternal spanking at age 1 predicted child externalizing behavior at age 3 (African American: ß = .08, p < .01; American Indian: ß = .06, p < .001), and maternal spanking at age 3 predicted child externalizing behavior at age 5 (African American: ß = .08, p < .001; American Indian: ß = .07, p < .001). Structural invariance tests suggested that the associations observed among American Indian children were not distinguishable from those observed among White and African American children. Results of this study can be interpreted in light of the recent American Academy of Pediatrics statement that encourages pediatricians to counsel parents against the use of physical punishment. Similar to White and African American families, American Indian families may benefit from reducing or eliminating the use of physical punishment.

Dyadic Profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Mothers and Children Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence.

Children who witness intimate partner violence (IPV) develop posttraumatic stress disorder at alarmingly high rates. Research suggests that caregivers' symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSS) often co-occur alongside children's PTSS, a phenomenon termed "relational posttraumatic stress." The goal of this study is to use dyad-centered analyses to examine heterogeneity in relational PTSS presentations in mother-child dyads, and to determine factors differentiating relational PTSS profiles. Data were drawn from a sample of 231 IPV-exposed, ethno-racially diverse mother-child dyads, with children ranging from ages 4 to 12. The results of a latent profile analysis indicated that a two-profile model was the best fit with the data. Both profiles indicated similar levels of PTSS across the dyad; however, they differed in overall symptom severity. Parenting and IPV severity significantly predicted profile membership; however, age did not. Results suggest that similarities in PTSS presentation should be expected in mother-child dyads, at least in families who experience IPV.

Moms' Empowerment Program participation associated with improved physical health among Latinas experiencing intimate partner violence.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether participation in the Moms' Empowerment Program (MEP), a 10-week, 10-session intervention designed to provide support and increase access to available community resources for women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), enhanced the physical health of participants who self-identified as Latina. METHODS: Mothers of children ages 4-12 who self-identified as Latina and had experienced IPV within the past two years were recruited at three intervention sites in Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, via community postings and referrals from agencies serving IPV-exposed families. Selected study participants (n = 93) were assigned to one of two groups: Treatment (immediate enrollment in the MEP) or Control (placement on a waitlist with an invitation to participate in the MEP after the 10-week study period). Data were drawn from two structured interviews, one at the time of recruitment for the study (Time One), and one following the intervention or wait period (Time Two). RESULTS: After controlling for age, educational attainment, and partner residence (living with a violent partner at the time of the interview), multilevel modeling revealed that improvement in physical health over time was significantly greater among women who participated in the intervention relative to controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that enhancing interpersonal connectedness and access to resources positively affects physical health for Latinas experiencing IPV.

Moms' Empowerment Program participation associated with improved physical health among Latinas experiencing intimate partner violence / La participación en la iniciativa Programa de Empoderamiento de las Mamás, se asocia con mejoría de la salud física de las mujeres latinas objeto de violencia de pareja / Participação no Programa de Empoderamento de Mães associada à melhora da saúde física em mulheres latinas que sofrem violência infligida pelo parceiro íntimo

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate whether participation in the Moms' Empowerment Program (MEP), a 10-week, 10-session intervention designed to provide support and increase access to available community resources for women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), enhanced the physical health of participants who self-identified as Latina. Methods Mothers of children ages 4-12 who self-identified as Latina and had experienced IPV within the past two years were recruited at three intervention sites in Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, via community postings and referrals from agencies serving IPV-exposed families. Selected study participants (n = 93) were assigned to one of two groups: Treatment (immediate enrollment in the MEP) or Control (placement on a waitlist with an invitation to participate in the MEP after the 10-week study period). Data were drawn from two structured interviews, one at the time of recruitment for the study (Time One), and one following the intervention or wait period (Time Two). Results After controlling for age, educational attainment, and partner residence (living with a violent partner at the time of the interview), multilevel modeling revealed that improvement in physical health over time was significantly greater among women who participated in the intervention relative to controls. Conclusions These data suggest that enhancing interpersonal connectedness and access to resources positively affects physical health for Latinas experiencing IPV.

RESUMEN Objetivo Evaluar si la participación en la iniciativa Programa de Empoderamiento de las Mamás (PEM), una intervención de 10 sesiones en 10 semanas concebida para prestar apoyo a mujeres autodefinidas como latinas objeto de violencia de pareja y brindarles un mayor acceso a los recursos comunitarios, mejoró la salud física de las participantes. Métodos Participaron en el estudio madres de niños de 4 a 12 años de edad que se autodefinieron como latinas y habían sido objeto de violencia de pareja en los últimos dos años. El reclutamiento de las participantes se hizo en tres sitios donde se realizaba la intervención, en Michigan, Ohio y Texas, por medio de avisos comunitarios y referencias de organismos que atienden a familias expuestas a la violencia de pareja. Las participantes seleccionadas para el estudio (n = 93) se asignaron a uno de los dos grupos siguientes: grupo de tratamiento (se inscribieron de inmediato en el PEM) o grupo de control (se pusieron en una lista de espera y se invitaron a participar en el PEM una vez que transcurrieran las 10 semanas del estudio). Se extrajeron datos de dos entrevistas estructuradas, una realizada al inscribir a las participantes en el estudio (fecha 1) y otra después de la intervención o el período de espera (fecha 2). Resultados Después de controlar la edad, el nivel de escolaridad y el lugar de residencia de la pareja (vivir con una pareja violenta en el momento de la entrevista), el modelo de varios niveles mostró que el mejoramiento de la salud física con el transcurso del tiempo era significativamente mayor en las mujeres que habían participado en la intervención que en las mujeres del grupo de control. Conclusiones Estos datos indican que mejorar la conexión interpersonal y el acceso a los recursos tiene un efecto positivo en la salud física de las mujeres latinas que son objeto de violencia de pareja.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar se a participação no Programa de Empoderamento de Mães (PEM), uma intervenção composta por 10 sessões semanais com o objetivo de prestar apoio e melhorar o acesso aos recursos disponíveis na comunidade para mulheres que sofrem violência infligida pelo parceiro íntimo, promove a melhora da saúde física das participantes que se reconhecem como latinas. Métodos Mães de crianças com idade de 4 a 12 anos que se reconhecem como latinas e sofreram violência infligida pelo parceiro íntimo nos dois anos anteriores foram recrutadas em três centros de intervenção em Michigan, Ohio e Texas, por meio de anúncios na comunidade e o encaminhamento de órgãos que fazem o atendimento de famílias expostas à violência infligida pelo parceiro íntimo. As participantes selecionadas para o estudo (n = 93) foram divididas em dois grupos: grupo de tratamento (inscrição imediata no PEM) ou grupo de controle (inscrição na lista de espera com convite para participar do PEM após o período do estudo de 10 semanas). Os dados foram coletados em duas entrevistas estruturadas, uma ao recrutamento para o estudo (momento 1) e a outra após a intervenção ou o período de espera (momento 2). Resultados Após controlar idade, nível de instrução e residência do parceiro (coabitação com o parceiro violento no momento da entrevista), a análise com o modelo de múltiplos níveis demonstrou que houve uma melhora significativamente maior da saúde física ao longo do tempo nas participantes da intervenção em comparação ao grupo de controle. Conclusões Esses resultados indicam que reforçar o senso de conexão interpessoal e melhorar o acesso aos recursos têm um impacto positivo na saúde física de mulheres latinas que sofrem violência infligida pelo parceiro íntimo.

Posttraumatic stress disorder in Latina women: Examining the efficacy of the Moms' Empowerment Program.

OBJECTIVE: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem, affecting every 1 in 4 women in their lifetime. Latinas have been found to experience IPV at rates equal to or even higher than rates in the general population. The consequences of experiencing such violence can be severe, and result in increased risk for developing both physical and mental health problems, notably, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although treatments for PTSD in IPV-exposed women have been developed and evaluated, this is the first study to test the efficacy of a program tailored specifically to meet the needs of Latinas who experience IPV. METHOD: This study examines the efficacy of a Spanish-language adaptation of the Moms' Empowerment Program, a 10-week group treatment program for IPV-exposed women. A total of 93 low-income, mostly immigrant Latinas were included in this community trial. All women were Spanish-speaking, and information about violence exposure and PTSD symptoms were collected immediately before and after the implementation of the intervention. RESULTS: Findings show that women who participated in the intervention had a significantly greater reduction in PTSD symptoms than women in the wait-list comparison group. Specific reductions by symptom domains were also analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: This adaptation of a program designed to reduce problems associated with experiencing IPV addressed several mental health treatment needs for Latinas, particularly the need for services in Spanish. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to tailor current treatment programs for IPV in ways that are both effective and culturally sensitive. (PsycINFO Database Record

Ethnoracial Variation in Women's Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence.

While intimate partner violence (IPV) has been acknowledged as a national public health concern, little research exists that directly assesses differential exposure to IPV for distinct ethnoracial groups. The current study compared the rate, severity, and type of IPV exposure across samples of White, African American, and Latina women (N = 180). Participants reported rates of exposure to violence on measures of physical assault, psychological aggression, injury, and sexual coercion; each subscale contained items denoting both mild and severe levels of violence. Multiple regression analyses indicated that women's frequency of exposure to sexual coercion, and severe and injurious violence significantly differed based on participants' ethnoracial identification, such that Latina women experienced disproportionate levels of violence relative to White and African American peers. Mothers' monthly income, level of education, general health, and relationship status also emerged as significant predictors of violence exposure. Results support the development of culturally sensitive adaptations of IPV interventions, targeting not only Latina populations but also women who are single, low-income, and educationally underserved.

Strengthening positive parenting through intervention: evaluating the Moms' Empowerment Program for women experiencing intimate partner violence.

This study examined the effectiveness of an evidence-based intervention in changing the positive and negative parenting practices of 120 mothers who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in the last 2 years. Mothers assigned to the treatment group participated in a 10-session evidence-based intervention, known as the Moms' Empowerment Program, which targets the mental health problems of women and works to increase access to resources and improve parenting abilities of women exposed to IPV. Participants were interviewed at baseline and immediately following the intervention or waitlist period, representing an elapsed time of approximately 5 weeks. After controlling for relevant demographic variables, violence severity, and mental health, women showed significantly more change in their positive parenting scores if they were in the treatment condition. No significant differences were found between the treatment and comparison groups in their negative parenting practices change scores. These findings suggest that even short-term intervention can improve positive parenting skills and parenting knowledge for women who have experienced partner abuse.