Intimate partner violence during the perinatal period and women's risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation

To identify the influence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) risk and the risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation during the perinatal period.

Descriptive observational study.

A questionnaire containing socio-demographic, psychosocial, and maternal health variables was administered, as well as the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaires to women who have given birth in the last 18 months. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, as well as binary logistic regression for multivariate analysis.

820 women participated. The risk of IPV was 65.9 % (540), where 59.2 % (485) had a score of 1-2 points and 6.7 % (55) had a score of 3-4 points on the WAST questionnaire. Multivariate analysis found that this risk was associated with anxiety risk, with a score of 1-2 (aOR:2.39; 95 % CI: 1.72, 3.32) and 3-4 points (aOR:4.74; 95 % CI: 2.24, 10.04) on the WAST. Moderate anxiety risk was associated with a WAST score of 1-2 (aOR:1.88; 95 % CI: 1.03, 3.43) and 3-4 (aOR:2.92; 95 % CI: 1.18, 7.23). The risk of postpartum depression with a WAST score of 1-2 (aOR:1.99; 95 % CI: 1.30, 3.04) and 3-4 (aOR:2.80; 95 % CI: 1.36, 5.76), and for the risk of perinatal suicidal ideation with a WAST score of 1-2 (aOR:2.56; 95 % CI: 1.12, 5.81) and 3-4 (aOR:6.40; 95 % CI: 2.18, 18.76).

Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in the perinatal period (pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum) is associated with an increased likelihood of risk for anxiety, postpartum depression, and perinatal suicidal ideation.