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Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence, Depressive Symptomatology, and Personality Traits

  • RESEARCH ON VICTIMS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
  • Published:
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and personality disorder symptoms controlling for depressive state. Victims of IPV (n = 176) and non-abused women (n = 193) completed the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ), Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). IPV victims scored higher than non-abused women on Intimacy Problems, and scored lower on Rejection traits, after adjustment for depressive symptoms. Severity of the IPV was related to Cognitive Distortion, Suspiciousness, Restricted Expression, and Intimacy Problems, and the length of the IPV was negatively associated with Rejection. The current study suggests only modest differences in personality traits between IPV and non-abused women. The DAPP-BQ traits associated with severity of IPV, in a dose-response manner, would partially reflect the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), although this possibility deserves further study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Anna Torres & Maria Luisa Imaz

  2. Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain

    Lluïsa Garcia-Esteve, Manuel Valdés & Rocío Martín-Santos

  3. Regidoria de Polítiques de Gènere de l’Ajuntament de Terrassa (Department of Gender Policy of the City of Terrassa), Terrassa, Spain

    Purificación Navarro & Maria Jesús Tarragona

  4. University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Carlos Ascaso

  5. University Autonoma of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain

    Estel Gelabert & Susana Subirà

  6. Centre de Psicoterapia de Barcelona (Barcelona Psychotherapy Center), Barcelona, Spain

    Anna Plaza

  7. Programa de Psiquiatría Perinatal y de Género, Hospital Clinic, C/ Sabino de Arana 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Anna Torres

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  1. Anna Torres
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  2. Lluïsa Garcia-Esteve
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  3. Purificación Navarro
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  4. Maria Jesús Tarragona
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  5. Maria Luisa Imaz
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  6. Carlos Ascaso
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  7. Estel Gelabert
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  8. Anna Plaza
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  9. Susana Subirà
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  10. Manuel Valdés
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  11. Rocío Martín-Santos
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Correspondence to Anna Torres.

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Anna Torres, Perinatal Psychiatry and Gender Program, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona; Lluïsa Garcia-Esteve, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer; Purificación Navarro, Psychology Service, Regidoria de Polítiques de Gènere de l’Ajuntament de Terrassa; Maria Jesús Tarragona, Psychology Service, Regidoria de Polítiques de Gènere de l’Ajuntament de Terrassa; Maria Luisa Imaz, Perinatal Psychiatry and Gender Program, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona; Carlos Ascaso, Department of Public Health, University of Barcelona; Estel Gelabert, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University Autonoma of Barcelona; Anna Plaza, Borderline Personality Disorder Program, Centre de Psicoterapia de Barcelona; Susana Subirà, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University Autonoma of Barcelona; Manuel Valdés, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer; Rocío Martín-Santos, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer.

This study was made possible thanks to the End of Residency Training Award granted to the first author by the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, by grant 58/05 from the Ministry of Equality, Women’s Institute, Spain and by grant SGR2009/1435.

The authors are grateful to all the women who participated in the study. They also thank Beatriz Gonzalez, Mar Morollón, Núria Sensat, and Fabiola Gil for their support in selecting the cases.

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Torres, A., Garcia-Esteve, L., Navarro, P. et al. Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence, Depressive Symptomatology, and Personality Traits. J Fam Viol 28, 369–379 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9502-4

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