TY - JOUR
T1 - An exploration of the spiritual and psychosocial variables associated with husband-to-wife abuse and its effect on women in abusive relationships
AU - Katerndahl, David A.
AU - Obregon, Maria Luisa
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Objectives: The purpose was to: 1) determine which aspects of religious belief incompatibility were associated with husband-to-wife abuse; 2) determine whether religious coping was independently associated with functional status among victims of spousal abuse; and 3) whether degree of abuse correlated with degrees of religious belief incompatibility or functional status among abused wives. Method: Couples were asked to complete a structured interview concerning marital satisfaction, argument frequency, alcohol use, witnessing violence as a child, spirituality, functional status, and domestic violence. Results: In four areas of spiritual belief (sense of being judged, closeness to God, congregational benefits, forgiveness), religious belief incompatibility significantly predicted abuse. Perceived congregational help and religious coping were associated with improved social support. Finally, abuse severity and duration correlated with functional status but not with degree of religious belief incompatibility. Conclusions: The addition of religious belief incompatibility may account for more variance in husband-to-wife abuse than non-spiritual predictors alone. Although the presence of abuse was associated with poorer functional status in women, religious coping was only linked to improved social support.
AB - Objectives: The purpose was to: 1) determine which aspects of religious belief incompatibility were associated with husband-to-wife abuse; 2) determine whether religious coping was independently associated with functional status among victims of spousal abuse; and 3) whether degree of abuse correlated with degrees of religious belief incompatibility or functional status among abused wives. Method: Couples were asked to complete a structured interview concerning marital satisfaction, argument frequency, alcohol use, witnessing violence as a child, spirituality, functional status, and domestic violence. Results: In four areas of spiritual belief (sense of being judged, closeness to God, congregational benefits, forgiveness), religious belief incompatibility significantly predicted abuse. Perceived congregational help and religious coping were associated with improved social support. Finally, abuse severity and duration correlated with functional status but not with degree of religious belief incompatibility. Conclusions: The addition of religious belief incompatibility may account for more variance in husband-to-wife abuse than non-spiritual predictors alone. Although the presence of abuse was associated with poorer functional status in women, religious coping was only linked to improved social support.
KW - Coping
KW - Domestic violence
KW - Marital incompatibility
KW - Quality of life
KW - Religion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547927443&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34547927443&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2190/G674-15N5-4626-W138
DO - 10.2190/G674-15N5-4626-W138
M3 - Article
C2 - 17953230
AN - SCOPUS:34547927443
VL - 37
SP - 113
EP - 128
JO - International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
JF - International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
SN - 0091-2174
IS - 2
ER -