A new study from SFU graduate student Ashley Pritchard suggests that partner abuse may have adverse effects on the mental health of new mothers.
Published in the journal, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Pritchard said, “The study examined the associations of different types of intimate partner abuse and postpartum mental health problems.” The research brought to bear a few findings on the mental health of the women studied.
Pritchard, a master’s student in SFU’s clinical forensic psychology program, explained the research team’s findings: “Higher levels of postpartum mental health problems were reported by women who experienced intimate partner abuse either before or during pregnancy. In addition, the negative effects on postpartum mental health increased as a function of the number of types of intimate partner abuse — psychological, physical and sexual — experienced.”
Furthermore, the effects of different types of abuse were varied after pregnancy. “Psychological abuse [. . .] was associated with symptoms of PTSD and stress in the postpartum period. Physical abuse [. . .] was associated with symptoms of depression, OCD and PTSD in the postpartum period. Sexual abuse [. . .] was associated with symptoms of OCD in the postpartum period,” Pritchard said.
Of the 100 women who participated in the study, 61 per cent experienced mental health symptoms in the postpartum period. Forty-seven per cent had mental health symptoms at “clinical” levels.
The research also found that two thirds of the women “had a familial income of $60,000 or more, [suggesting] that intimate partner abuse is not constrained to households of lower socioeconomic status.”
The scope of trauma in these findings is significant; however, Pritchard suggests there are things women can do to help themselves in these situations. Pritchard recommends that “healthcare providers should conduct routine screenings for intimate partner abuse” and “foster strong rapport with their patients so that mothers-to-be feel comfortable enough to discuss such issues.” Additionally, she said that it is “important that healthcare providers are informed about the prevalence and consequences of intimate partner abuse.”
In the end, it all comes down to greater information. Said Pritchard, “Informing both women and their healthcare providers about findings like these will further help to open lines of communication, reduce stigma, and work to prevent harmful mental health problems.”
