Gender-based violence and depressive symptoms among female entertainment workers in Cambodia: A cross-sectional study

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) are at higher risk of gender-based violence (GBV) than the general population. The prolonged stress and fear caused by GBV increase the likelihood of depression, a major mental health problem among FEWs. However, their mental health issue has received limited attention and remains poorly researched in the context of GBV. We examined the association between GBV and depressive symptoms among FEWs in Cambodia. We conducted this cross-sectional study in 2017. We used a two-stage cluster random sampling method to select FEWs from the municipality and six provinces for face-to-face interviews. We used the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to measure depressive symptoms. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms. We included a total of 645 FEWs in data analyses. The proportions of FEWs experiencing emotional, physical, and sexual violence were 36.1%, 11.6%, and 17.2%, respectively. Of the total participants, 65.9% had high levels of depressive symptoms. The adjusted odds of having high levels of depressive symptoms were higher among FEWs who engaged in transactional sex (AOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.09-2.94), experienced emotional abuse (AOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.90-5.23), and experienced two (AOR 7.89, 95% CI 3.28-18.99) and three overlapping types of GBV (AOR 12.12, 95% CI 2.47-59.25) than those who did not. FEWs in this study experienced high levels and overlapping types of GBV associated with high levels of depressive symptoms. Policy interventions and services should be designed to prevent GBV and support the victims of GBV to mitigate depressive symptoms among FEWs in Cambodia.