The mental and physical health of severely and non-severely abused U.S. Black Caribbean women

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the mental and physical health of U.S. Caribbean Black women using a nationally representative sample, with a special emphasis on the role of severe intimate partner violence. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from the National Survey of American Life, the largest and the only known representative study on 1621 non- institutionalized Caribbeans residing in the United States, were used. The mental health (i.e., mood, substance, anxiety, eating) of participants was based on structured mental health assessments (DSM-IV) and physical health was based on self-report of physician-diagnosed conditions (i.e., arthritis, high blood pressure, liver problem, HIV or AIDS). Chi-square tests of independence were used to address differences in rates of mental and physical health conditions between severely abused and non-severely abused women. RESULTS: Rates of mental and physical health problems were generally higher among women experiencing severe intimate partner violence in comparison to women who had not experienced intimate partner violence. This was apparent for conditions such as bipolar disorder (12.4% vs. 1.3%), panic disorder (11.9% vs. 1.9%), alcohol abuse (5.5% vs. 1.8%), suicide attempts (12.7% vs 1.4%), kidney problem (6.0% vs. 1.8%), liver problem (3.7% vs. 0.8%), and HIV or AIDS (1.3% vs. 0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The study had intervention and preventative implications for both detecting and addressing the health needs of women who are abused by an intimate partner.