Domestic violence and psychiatric morbidity

Background: Women are integral to all aspects of society. They are worshipped, but when it comes to dealing with them, much still remains. Women bear the burden of responsibility associated with being wives, mothers and carers of others. There is a dearth of case-control studies. Domestic violence in women with psychiatric morbidity has not received sufficient attention. There are certain statistical and psychiatric considerations like:- Unipolar depression, predicted to be the second leading cause of global disability burden by 2020, is twice as common in women, depression is not only the most common women's mental health problem, but may be more persistent in women than men. Psychiatric morbidity as a determinant of domestic violence has received little attention. Indian culture is unique and there is limited work on domestic violence from Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Objective: To study and compare married women with psychotic and non-psychotic and the nature of psychiatric morbidity in married women. Method: 65 women attending psychiatry OPD department of SSL Hospital with 35 psychotic (Group 1) and 30 non-psychotic women (Group 2) were studied for the magnitude of domestic violence by husband. Domestic Violence Questionnaire of Indu et al. Psychiatric diagnosis in women was based on medical records. Results: Significantly more women in Group 1 than Group 2 reported domestic violence (total/ psychological and physical) by husbands in past year (Group 1:80% total/ psychological violence; 65.7% physical violence) and non-psychotic women (Group 2:50% total/ psychological violence; 43.3% physical violence). Total domestic violence with Psychiatric morbidity was observed in 66.2%. Conclusion: Women with psychotic illness have a higher reporting of domestic violence by husbands during the past year. As people with mental disorders are likely to be victims of violence. Mental disorder may increase vulnerability to domestic violence by increasing the likelihood of women being in unsafe relationships and environments and increase their vulnerability to violent victimization.