Risk and Protective Factors for Pregnant Women Experiencing Psychological Abuse

Abstract

ABSTRACT A community sample of two hundred pregnant women reported on their experiences of psychological abuse, depressive symptoms, and emotional support. Findings indicated that prenatal depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between prenatal severity of psychological abuse and postpartum depressive symptoms. In addition, prenatal emotional support moderated the relationship between the severity of prenatal psychological abuse and prenatal depressive symptoms. Emotional support, therefore, was considered to act as a buffer for psychological abuse severity, as high levels of emotional support were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms under conditions of more severe psychological abuse. These results were over and above the effects of the physical violence that these women experienced. Implications for research and practice are discussed.