Examining the Impact of Maternal Experiences of Domestic Violence on Adolescent Mental Health Disorders in India Open Access
Gourisankar, Amritha (Summer 2020)
Published
Abstract
Background: The high prevalence of domestic violence (DV) in India and resulting effects on maternal mental health outcomes suggest a need to understand potential impacts of exposure to DV on adolescents in the household in India. Previous studies demonstrate the impact of exposure to DV on adolescent mental health in Western countries, however the culturally specific manifestations of DV and mental health disorders and socio-cultural differences in the parent-child relationship and home environment necessitate understanding the presence and extent of impact in the Indian context.
Methods: This thesis presents a secondary analysis of data collected from a seven-center study in urban and rural India examining a spectrum of mental health disorders (i.e. anxiety and depressive disorders grouped as common mental disorders (CMD), externalizing disorders including oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality) among adolescents aged 12-17 years and DV (psychological, physical, and sexual abuse and control) in their mothers. The Indian Family Violence and Control Scale (IFVCS) was used to examine DV among mothers, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview – Kid (MINI-Kid) to examine mental health among adolescents, and bivariate analyses to examine the association between maternal DV and adolescent mental disorders.
Results: Data from 2,784 adolescent-mother pairs were analyzed, with 31.5% from rural settings, 11.1% from slum settlements, 19.1% in joint family settings, and average adolescent age=14x years (SD = 1.5 years) and 5.3% dropped out of school or completing less than secondary education. Significant associations were found between maternal experiences of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, and adolescent common mental disorders including anxiety and depressive disorders, suicidality, and externalizing disorders, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (p<0.05). Control behaviors were not significantly associated with any of the studied mental disorders.
Conclusions: These results suggest that exposure to maternal DV significantly impacts adolescent mental health in India. Future studies should examine confounding and effect modification of the association between exposure to DV and mental disorders in Indian adolescents. If the associations remain significant in the multivariable analyses, they underscore the need to develop trauma-informed school programs and enhance DV prevention in India.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction
1-4
Domestic Violence and Maternal Health in India
1
Study Significance
2
Research Question and Hypothesis
3
Chapter Two: Literature Review
5-13
Introduction
5
DV Globally and in India
5
DV in India
6
Adolescent Mental Health
7
Adolescent Mental Health in India
8
Exposure to Parental DV is associated with Poor Mental Health in the Child
8
Predictors of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Disorders in India
10
Maternal Mental Health
11
Conclusion
12
Chapter Three: Manuscript
14-35
Title Page
14
Contribution of Student
15
Abstract
16
Introduction
17
Methods
20
Results
26
Discussion
32
Chapter Four: Public Health Implications
36-38
Introduction
36
Research Implications
36
Programmatic Implications
37
Policy Implications
38
Conclusion
38
References
39-43
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