More than just bruises : psychological trauma in women who have experienced domestic abuse

Abstract

For women who have experienced domestic abuse, it is well acknowledged that wounds endured are often not just physical, but emotional and psychological as well. As the consequences of experiencing domestic abuse can be severe, it is important to understand how one’s sufferings of physical and/or non-physical forms of abuse are related to the amount and type of psychological trauma symptoms experienced. As such, this project sought to understand the relationship between types of domestic abuse and psychological trauma symptoms. Examining 50 women who had been at involved in a group counselling program at Calgary Counselling Centre, this research found interesting results. Specifically, results indicated that psychological trauma symptoms were related to experiences of physical abuse, as well as non-physical abuse. When these relationships were independently analyzed it was found that non-physical abuses had a stronger relationship with psychological trauma symptoms. These findings were congruent with other research literature, exemplifying the damaging consequences physical and non-physical experiences of domestic abuse can have. Further, it may provoke further research examining the unique and often psychologically damaging consequences non-physical abuses can have.