Intimate partner violence across pregnancy and the postpartum and the relationship to depression and perinatal wellbeing: findings from a pregnancy cohort study

Megan Galbally; Stuart Watson; Kelli MacMillan; Katherine Sevar; Louise M Howard

doi:10.1007/s00737-024-01455-z

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Intimate partner violence across pregnancy and the postpartum and the relationship to depression and perinatal wellbeing: findings from a pregnancy cohort study

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Intimate partner violence across pregnancy and the postpartum and the relationship to depression and perinatal wellbeing: findings from a pregnancy cohort study

Megan Galbally, Stuart Watson, Kelli MacMillan, Katherine Sevar and Louise M Howard

Archive of Women's Mental Health

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01455-z

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Abstract

Purpose To compare the prevalence of emotional and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) across pregnancy and the first year postpartum in those with and without clinical depression and assess the association between maternal childhood trauma, current stressful life events and depression and IPV over the perinatal period. Methods Data were obtained from 505 pregnant women from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS), a cohort study with data collected across pregnancy until 12 months postpartum. Maternal antenatal depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) with repeat measurement of perinatal depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Trauma was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and experiences of physical and emotional intimate partner violence using items in the Stressful Life Events Scale. Results Women experiencing IPV across the perinatal period were significantly more likely to score over 13 on the EPDS (p < .001) at each timepoint in pregnancy and the postpartum and physical IPV was associated with clinical depression. Further, a history of childhood trauma and current additional stressful life events were significantly associated with reporting current IPV in the perinatal period. Conclusions This study confirmed the risk factors of childhood trauma and current stressful life events for reporting experiences of IPV in the perinatal period. Furthermore, women experiencing IPV reported higher depressive symptoms, providing evidence supporting the value of assessing those women who screen higher on the EPDS for IPV. Together these findings also support trauma informed care across pregnancy and the postpartum.

Details

Title: Intimate partner violence across pregnancy and the postpartum and the relationship to depression and perinatal wellbeing: findings from a pregnancy cohort study
Authors/Creators: Megan Galbally (Author) - Murdoch University, Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine
Stuart Watson (Author)
Kelli MacMillan (Author)
Katherine Sevar (Author) - Monash Health
Louise M Howard (Author) - King's College London
Publication Details: Archive of Women's Mental Health
Publisher: Springer Nature
Identifiers: 991005645169607891
Copyright: © Crown 2024
Murdoch Affiliation: Murdoch University
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.24 Psychiatry & Psychology; 6.24.858 Intimate Partner Violence
Web Of Science research areas: Psychiatry
ESI research areas: Psychiatry/Psychology