Injury Dimensions in Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: Expanding the Examination of Associations With Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

This study examined the types, frequency, and location of acute and residual injuries (violence-related marks or scars) of 345 victims of moderate-severe intimate partner violence (IPV). Acute facial injuries were common with facial bruising reported by 83%, facial lacerations reported by 44%, and damaged teeth reported by 20% of the sample. Fifty-six percent of the sample reported at least 1 mark or scar resulting from their acute injury. Having an IPV-related residual injury was associated with reports of significantly more severe forms of past-year violence (physical assault and 2 forms of psychological maltreatment), total number of acute injuries, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Moreover, positive residual injury status and 2 forms of psychological maltreatment predicted significant and unique variance in PTSD (but not depression), controlling for length of abuse and severity of physical assault. Within the residual injury subsample, body image distress associated with the residual injury and 1 form of psychological maltreatment predicted significant variance in PTSD (but not depression), controlling for length of abuse, severity of physical assault, and number of acute injuries. Implications for the multiple dimensions of injury were discussed.