Suicidal Ideation among Women Court-Referred to Batterer Intervention Programs

Identifying the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation in women mandated to batterer intervention programs is necessary to prevent suicide in this greatly understudied population. This study used cross-sectional, self-report survey methodology to identify the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among 79 women attending batterer intervention programs. Thirty-three percent of the sample reported experiencing suicidal ideation during the two weeks prior to entering the program. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that, while controlling for number of batterer intervention sessions attended, symptoms of depression and borderline personality disorder, but not symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, were associated with suicidal ideation.