The Effects of Personal, Social and Economic Resources on Physical and Mental Health of Women in the Early Years after Leaving an Abusive Partner

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects 1 in 4 Canadian women and takes an economic toll on our health, social, and legal systems. IPV results in both mental and physical health problems for women, yet the long-term health effects of IPV are not well understood. After leaving an abusive partner, women often experience ongoing abuse and harassment, economic problems and difficulty getting services they need. How these factors affect the health of women who have left abusive partners over time is not known. These women need to be healthy and functional, for their own well-being, to fulfill their roles as parents, and to contribute to Canadian society. In this study, we examine how the mental and physical health of women who have recently left abusive partners changes over time in response to past and ongoing abuse and changes in their personal, social and economic resources in a sample of 309 Canadian women who have taken part in 2 earlier phases of this study. Women's use of health and social services to manage their health problems and the costs of these services will also be examined. Women will take part in an annual interview and health assessment conducted by a Registered Nurse. Findings may be helpful in identifying more effective ways to improve the health or women who have fled abuse.

Study Objectives:

The objectives of this longitudinal, prospective study are:

a) to document patterns of mental and physical health problems and functioning experienced by women in the early years (up to 6 years) after leaving an abusive partner,

b) to describe changes in personal, social and economic resources during this time,

c) to examine how changes in health problems experienced over time are a function of the interrelationships between the severity of abuse and women’s personal, social and economic resources,

d) to identify rates of health and social service use by women in managing mental and physical health problems, and,

e) to estimate both the costs of service use and the economic burden associated with health problem management in the early years after leaving an abusive partner

Related Reports:

Publications

Varcoe, C., & Ford-Gilboe, M. (2006). Toward a Better Understanding of the Real Costs of Intimate-Partner Violence Against Women. AWARE. BC Institute Against Family Violence Newsletter. Special Issue on Health and Violence.

Presentations

Varcoe, C., Wuest, J. & Ford-Gilboe, M. (abstract accepted for November, 2006). Examining the Relationships Among Abuse, Social, Economic and Personal Resources and Health After Leaving An Abusive Partner. Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing Research Conference, Victoria, British Columbia.

Lucarotti, A, Worunuk, J.,Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M., Ford-Gilboe, M. & Varcoe, C. (2006, April). Health problems and medicaton use among women who have left abusive male partners.  UNB Nursing Research Day, Fredericton, NB.

Varcoe, C. (2006, April). Learning from women’s voices. Invited keynote speaker. Battered Women’s Justice Project. Seattle, Washington.

Varcoe, C., Hankivsky, O., Ford-Gilboe, M., &  Wuest, J. (2006, April). Dollars and Sense: What are the economic costs for women after leaving an abusive partner? Paper presented at the Nurses Network on Violence Against Women International Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M., Ford-Gilboe, M. & Varcoe, C. (2006, April). The health effects of intimate partner violence: An overview of findings from Wave 1 of a Longitudinal Study.  UNB Nursing Research Day, Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M., Ford-Gilboe, M. & Varcoe, C, Lucarotti, A. (2006, April). Medication Usage among Canadian women in the early years after leaving an abusive partner. Paper presented at the Nurses Network on Violence Against Women International Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Wuest, J., & Merritt-Gray, M. (2006, March). Women’s physical and mental health in the early years after leaving an abusive partner: Overview and preliminary findings.  Fredericton Network (Agencies concerned with Family Violence).

Huynh, V., & Varcoe, C. (2006, February). Women’s Strategies for Reducing Violence in Abusive Relationships. Poster presentation. Ethel John’s Nursing Research Forum, Xi Eta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, Vancouver, BC.

Varcoe, C., Hankivsky, O., Ford-Gilboe, M., & Wuest, J. (2005, October). The Economic Costs of Violence Against Women After Leaving: Building Evidence For Better Prevention and Supportive Policies and Practices. Paper presented at the World Congress on Violence, Banff, Alberta.

Varcoe, C., Ford-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., Davies, L., Hankivsky, O., Merritt-Gray, M., & Wilk, P. (2005, September). Predictors of women’s health in the early years after leaving an abusive partner. Invited poster to Gender, Violence and Health Workshop Canadian Institutes of Health Research Workshop, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Varcoe, C., Ford-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M. (2005, June). Economic resources after leaving an abusive partner: Implications for family nursing. Paper presented at the International Family Nursing Conference, Victoria, BC. economic resources and health.

Varcoe, C., Hankivsky, O., Ford-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M., & Davies, L. (2004, October). Economic Costs of Violence Against Women in the early years after leaving. Paper presented  at the Nurses Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) Conference, Boston, Massachusetts.

Varcoe, C. (2004, September). The Long-Term Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Mental and Physical Health of Women who have left Abusive Relationships: Building the Evidence to Improve Professional Practice and Public Policy. Invited presentation to Gender, Violence and Health Workshop Canadian Institutes of Health Research Workshop, Toronto, Ontario.

Varcoe, C. (2003, September). Violence Against Women in Canada: Challenges in Policy and Practice. Invited presentation to the First National Conference on Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment. Vancouver, British Columbia.