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Antonio Molina Rodríguez
Daño psíquico en mujeres víctimas de violencia de género
3.3.1. Correlation of epidemiological variables and GHQ-28.
The age of the women and the persistence of the violence
showed no correlation with the GHQ-28. The type of relationship
showed signs of statistical significance with the GHQ-B.
In contrast, when the type of violence is “complex”, it is
directly correlated with the following variables: T-GHQ; GHQ-A;
GHQ-B. The type of violence showed no correlation with GHQ-C.
There were indications of its association with GHQ-D that did not
reach the level of significance.
3.3.2. Correlations between emotional stability and GHQ-28.
We analyzed the scores on the GHQ-28 with regard to ES or
Factor C as a trait.
GHQ-A: The correlation between Factor C and “somatic
symptoms” proved to be significant and inverse, fewer emotional
stability is associatedwith a greater GHQ-A value. Whenwe focus on
the variable “associated factors” a direct and significant association
is also found with the somatic symptoms. The correlation evidences
that the mean score obtained for the GHQ-A by the EU women of
study was 1.355 points greater than the mean score obtained by
the ES group. In short, the group EU expresses a greater number of
somatic symptoms when exposed to violence.
GHQ-B: We arrived at an significant inverse association
between the score in anxiety and factor C. The results obtained
for this subscale showed a significant direct association with the
variable “associated factors”. This indicates that the mean scores for
GHQ-B among the EU women is 1.651 points higher than for the ES
ones. Group EU expresses greater levels of anxiety when exposed
to gender violence.
GHQ-C: The score obtained for GHQ-C manifests a significant
inverse correlation with factor C. The results relating withdrawal
with the variable “associated factors” also establish a direct and
significant association between the two. The mean score obtained
for GHQ-C by the group EU is 1.084 points higher than that of the
group ES. The group EU is the one exhibiting more withdrawal in the
workplace or the social realm as a result of gender violence.
GHQ-D: The evaluation of depression on this subscale also
leads to a significant inverse correlation with factor C. This subscale
is found to have a direct and significant association with the variable
“associated factors”. The mean score obtained for the evaluation of
depression among the group of EU women was 1.675 points higher
than that of the ES women. The group EU is the one expressing
greater levels of depression when exposed to violence.
T-GHQ: The correlation between the GHQ-Total score and
Factor C proved to be inversely significant. Correlating the GHQ-T
score with the variable “associated factors” led to a direct and
significant association. The mean scores obtained in the GHQ-T by
group EU is 5.471 points higher than the mean of the ES women.
Thus, the ES women can be said to suffer lesser deterioration
of their state of psychophysical health and can resist better despite
the loss of their emotional well-being.
DISCUSSION
The present study was conducted to examinar the relationship
between the psychic damage of women who suffered gender
violence and the emotional stability and factors such as age, the
relationship with the aggressor, the type and the persistence of the
violence.
Regarding the age of the victims, the figures coincide with
other studies, concluding that the greatest prevalence of gender
violence involved women in the age range of 31-40 years (24). This
would suggest that violence is consecutive with the initial period
of living together, when the compatibility of characters and vital
projects is tested. Also noteworthy is the elevated prevalence of
gender violence among the youngest age bracket studied here,
18 to 30 years of age (22.5%). These are early relationships, and
it would be logical to assume that the education of the persons
involved is less patriarchal and more based on respect and
equality. This social influence on the attitudes of gender violence
has been explored by a number of studies (25), previous authors
observed violence and lack of equality in the secondary school
setting (26) and the university (27), making these populations at a
risk to be addressed by preventive studies.
Further, the results of this study come to underline that
physical damage most often accompanies the attitude of disrespect
and humiliation, experiences that are very damaging to the psycho-
physical health (28). Our findings are in line with the results of
studies that report that “complex violence” appears with high
frequency in the cases of violence against women who file in
court (24,15). Accusations of violence in the family setting in Spain
were traditionally dealt with as general misdemeanors of lesions.
In the Penal Code reform of 1989 and 1995, the misdemeanor of
family violence was typified, considering only physical violence.
Then psychic violence was added with the same consideration of
seriousness in the Penal Code reformof 1999. Thismade it necessary
to evaluate the psychic damage of victims in order to prosecute in
court according to the real seriousness. Among women reporting
that they were the victims of violence, the percentage of complex
violence is greater, and this may be due to the fact that there are
more evident lesions, which makes prosecution somewhat easier
(15). Nonetheless, we also find studies that indicate that the
percentage of psychological violence is on the rise (29). Similarly,
studies show that among young couples there is increasing
psychological violence, however, when the relationship is more
stable, physical violence increases (30).
The findings indicate that the situation of greater stability
in the relationship prevailed, and violence arose when there was a
stronger link. Similar findings are reported in studies that conclude
that a high percentage of stable relations are found in the cases of
violence in intimate relationships (24). It may also be true that it is
more difficult to break off a relationship of greater stability, whether
legal or affective, as it is complicated to arrive at agreements about
common goods, the children, etc. (31,32,15).
Inlinewithpreviousresearch,mostwomenendurepsychicand
physical violence that is persistent, before reporting the incidents to
the police or judge (31). These authors associate the frequency of
the aggressions with their duration over time, considering that
before a formal accusation the woman has suffered the violent
conduct frequently, over a long period.
Notwithstanding, the fact that abuse can involve women
with very different types of personality makes comes to show that,
even though emotional stability has an important influence in the
process, other factors may be equally important. Thus, although
personality traits bear an influence, at the same time they can
be modulated by extreme or continuous events (33,19) that may
appear in the victims as new forms of adapting. Relating these
affirmations with our own results, the 52.32% of women found
to be unstable according to the “associated factors” would have
reflected the group EU; and the 47.68% of the women who were
found to be ES may have been influenced by other factors while
experiencing and enduring a relationship based on violence. This
does not contradict the role of emotional stability in coping with the
damaging effects violence.
On the other hand, we should stress that the evaluation
using the T-GHQ must be done on an individual basis, as the score
on some of the subscales may suffice to prescribe treatment.
Of all the women, just over half (51.65%) showed a general
deterioration in their health, yet pharmacological treatment
was indicated for just 23.84%. Therefore, nearly half the women
(48.34%) can be said to have an acceptable health. These results
highlight the inconsistency when different studies explore the
damage deriving from violence against women, and point to
the need for further research into the factors that facilitate and
protect against this traumatic experience. Golding (10) arrived at