Impact of intimate partner violence on baseline health status among women in substance abuse treatment

Up to 90% of women in substance abuse treatment report lifetime histories of intimate partner violence (IPV) with more than half of them reporting IPV in the past year. The objective of this study was to compare the baseline physical and mental health status of women with IPV upon entry into substance abuse treatment. A one time face-to-face interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 97 women within 2 weeks of admission. Measures included: the SF 36, an index of gynecological symptoms, Abuse Assessment Screen, Severity of Violence Against Women Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, and 11 items from the Symptom Checklist-90 reflecting trauma symptoms. Pearson correlations, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA analyses were conducted with selected demographic, substance use, family/social, legal and medical/psychiatric variables abstracted from the Addiction Severity Index. Variables significant at the p < .10 level were entered into multiple regression analyses. Women were predominantly African American who most frequently used heroin. Multiple variables were differentially associated with physical and mental health including history of childhood abuse and IPV, more frequent IPV, and past treatment for alcohol problems. Cumulative exposure to negative life events (whether it is abuse or drugs) may be at least equally significant to women's health as current exposure.