PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE - A METAANALYSIS

The present meta-analytic review examined the relationship between int erpersonal violence and psychological distress, utilizing 50 published or prepublication empirical studies. Studies were included in the rev iew if they quantified psychological distress following childhood sexu al or physical abuse, rape, criminal assault, or partner (domestic) ph ysical abase or rape. The overall effect size, though heterogeneous, w as clinically and practically significant, demonstrating empirically t hat interpersonal violence has deleterious effects on psychological fu nctioning. Within victimized groups, specific objective and subjective stressor-related factors were examined for the magnitude of their eff ect on resulting psychological distress. Subject factors, such as gene ral appraisal, self-blame, and perceived life threat, contributed twic e as much to the magnitude of psychological distess as did objective f actors, such as physical injury, force, and use of a weapon. Generally , psychological distress in the domains of intra- and interpersonal fu nctioning emerged as theoretically and clinically important avenues fo r further research.