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A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: EXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIOLENCE AMONG A SAMPLE OF BRAZILIAN MOTHERS
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Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Centro Latino-Americano de Estudos de Violência e Saúde Jorge Careli. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Centro Latino-Americano de Estudos de Violência e Saúde Jorge Careli. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca. Centro Latino-Americano de Estudos de Violência e Saúde Jorge Careli. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Abstract
Background: Mental health problems are the major cause of disability in poor countries, and women are the
individuals most affected. The World Health Organization points out that violence against women is the leading
cause of mental health problems. This study seeks to identify explanatory factors for women’s mental health
problems, highlighting situations of violence suffered by them during childhood, when living with a partner and in the community. Method: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 389 mothers with schoolchildren in a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Profile variables and childhood and adult life experiences were researched and organized in three analytical blocks. A binary logistic regression model was used, divided into hierarchical blocks. Results: The final model shows that women who were the victims of severe physical violence by their partner were more likely (OR = 8.2) to suffer from mental health problems than those who had never been exposed to this type of violence. The mothers of children with behavior problems are more likely to have mental health problems (OR = 3.0) than mothers whose children do not manifest behavioral problems.
Conclusion: This study shows that women’s mental health problems are particularly related to the experience of
physical violence, especially that occurring in intimate partner relationships. Based on this premise, this work
recommends that multidimensional issues need to be included in women’s health assistance programs duly
incorporating the specificity of victimization by violence.
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