Investigating the effects of the Moms’ Empowerment Program on 8-year traumatic stress symptom trajectories in women with histories of IPV.

Abstract

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing issue, affecting nearly one-third of women in the U.S. over their lifetimes, and has been linked with a number of deleterious outcomes, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although IPV is often chronic, few studies have prospectively examined trajectories of PTSD symptoms (PTSS) in this population. The goal of the present study was to assess the effects of the Moms' Empowerment Program an IPV-specific intervention; as well as trauma exposure, domestic violence (DV) shelter use, and depression symptoms on PTSS trajectories in women with histories of IPV. Method: Data were drawn from a sample of 118 women who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention specifically designed for women and children experiencing IPV. Sixty-seven women from the original sample completed an assessment 8 years following the conclusion of the intervention. Results: On average, women's PTSS decreased over time. Intervention group assignment did not affect these trajectories; however, women who attended more sessions had significantly fewer PTSS at the 8-year followup. Greater IPV exposure, higher depression symptoms, and shelter use were all associated with higher PTSS over time, with some variation across PTSS subdomains. Conclusions: These results provide preliminary evidence that brief intervention may have long-term effects. They also demonstrate how addressing ongoing IPV and concurrent symptoms of depression is likely an essential component of treating PTSS in this population. Finally, these results underscore the need for more research on relations between formal DV services and mental health.