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Stages of change as a correlate of mental health symptoms in abused, low‐income African American women
Author(s) -
Edwards Tiffany A.,
Houry Debra,
Kemball Robin S.,
Harp Sharon E.,
McNutt LouiseAnne,
Straus Helen,
Rhodes Karin V.,
Cerulli Catherine,
Kaslow Nadine J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.20310
Subject(s) - medical school , mental health , atlanta , clinical neuropsychology , gerontology , psychology , sociology , library science , medicine , psychiatry , medical education , metropolitan area , pathology , computer science
The current study aims to further our understanding of the applicability of the transtheoretical model (TM) to intimate partner violence (IPV), with particular focus on mental health symptoms (depression, posttraumaticstress disorder symptomatology, suicidal ideation) in a sample of low‐income African American women seeking medical services at an inner city emergency department. Results revealed that of the 121 abused African American women, the majority (95%) were in the precontemplation and contemplation stages of the change process. Further, contrary to predictions, bivariate analyses revealed those at further stages of change endorsed more severe mental health symptoms. However, a multivariate analysis of variance examining differences in level of mental health symptoms between women high and low on stages of change was inconclusive due to the small number of women at the higher stages of the TM model. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature supporting the TM as applied to IPV. Results are discussed in terms of applicability to intervention design. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 62: 1531–1543, 2006.