Intimate Partner Violence and Health: Can Resilience Mediate the Effects?

The association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and poor physical and mental health outcomes for women is well documented. Few studies examined factors that strengthen resilience of women exposed to IPV. A telephone survey was administered to 242 Lebanese and Syrian IPV-exposed women. Resilience was positively associated with age, personal income and negatively associated with household crowding index, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, PTSD, food and clothing insecurity, feeling safe, and community support. Resilience significantly mediated the relation between IPV exposure and physical health. Developing programs to strengthen IPV survivors' resilience may lessen the impact of IPV experiences on their physical health.