Type and Severity of Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Reported by Women Who Killed Abusive Partners

Abstract

This study investigated the type, severity, and frequency of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms experienced by battered women prior to killing male partners. Eighteen women were assessed for frequency and severity of lifetime PTSD symptoms and type of abuse endured. Correlations were performed between clusters of PTSD symptoms and composites of violent experiences. It was found that before killing male partners, these battered women suffered moderate to high levels of PTSD symptom frequency and severity, except for an inability to recall important aspects of the trauma. Significant canonical correlations were found between the frequency and severity of PTSD symptoms and the severity of types of abuses inflicted.