PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND RESILIENCE IN BATTERED WOMEN

Abstract

Domestic violence is a psychosocial problem that can negatively impact on women's mental well-being and their ability to deal with stressful situations in their lives. This study was conducted to examine psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress) and ego resilience of battered women. It also investigated the correlation between psychological distress and resilience and investigated the correlation between forced marriage and domestic violence. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 100 battered women aged 15 to 45 years from three different areas, Dar-ul-Amans (n = 34), Peshawar (n = 33) and Swat (n = 33). Demographic information sheet, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Ego Resiliency Scale (ERS) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and Chi-square analysis were used to analyze the data. Results indicated high psychological distress levels: 80% reported extremely severe depression, 84% extremely severe anxiety, and 85% extremely severe stress. In addition, 84% of the battered women demonstrated low ego resilience. There was a significant negative correlation between psychological distress and ego resilience (r = −.764, p < .01), which means that psychological distress was negatively related to ego resilience, meaning that the more psychological distress, the less ego resilience. The study hypothesis was also supported by the significant association with domestic violence (χ² = 6.064, p = .014) and forced marriage. These results illustrate the significant psychological burden and lowered resilience of battered women. The study highlights the importance of holistic mental health interventions, resilience building initiatives, counselling, advocacy and specialized psychosocial support for battered women, especially those impacted by forced marriage.