 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Stacey B Plichta, ScD, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, 105 Spong Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529, 757 683-4989, splichta@odu.edu, Yan Zhang, MS, Urban Health Services, College of Health Science, Old Dominion University, 3565 Norland Court, Norfolk, VA 23513, Melissa Caldwell, Women in Crisis, YWCA Norfolk, 5215 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23508, and Cheryl Marks, MSEd, MBA, Women In Transition, YWCA, 5215 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23508.
Purpose: To identify the tasks completed by women during a short-term stay at a battered women’s shelter, and to examine the effects of the stay on knowledge, depression and self-esteem.
Method: A pre-test post-test design with women as their own control was employed. Women completed a survey packet upon shelter entry and again at exit. Measures of knowledge about violence, self-esteem, depression, tasks completed and SES were included. The paired t-test was used for pre-test to post-test comparisons. Overall, 117 women (37% of all entering women in 2001-2002) completed both packets. Among completers, the average age is 31 .97 years (sd=9.54), 59% are African-American, 51 % are currently married/cohabitating, and 85% have children. Most (81%) have a H.S. education, but almost half (45%) have no independent income. The average stay is 26.8 days (sd=32.6), with 59% staying over two weeks. Those completing both packets did not differ significantly from non-completers on socio-demographics.
Results: The majority completed many tasks while in shelter. From entry to exit, the percent with low self-esteem decreased significantly (from 23% to 7 %) as did the percent with depressive symptoms (from 49% to 19%). There was also a small, but significant increase of DV Knowledge.
Conclusions: Short-term shelter stays may allow women to begin the process of living a violence free life both by providing access to resources, and by assisting women in rebuilding their mental health. More research is needed to fully examine the impact that shelter stays have mental health and functioning.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Urban Women's Health Issues
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.