Clinical Neuropsychological Profile and Quality of Life in Women Who Have Suffered Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

Background: This research characterizes the clinical and neuropsychological profiles and the quality of life in a group of Ecuadorian women who suffered physical violence, psychological violence, or sexual violence, exploring their relationships with sociodemographic factors. Methods: A battery of tests were used to explore the clinical and neuropsychological functions and quality of life in 120 participants who were selected from a population affected by violence. Results: Sixty percent of the participants showed clinical anxiety, 26.7% clinical depression, 40% post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, 15% moderate personality disorder, and 51.7% a low quality-of-life index. Their Z-scores in the neuropsychological domains evaluated were verbal memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test?=??1.35), working memory (Digits?=??1.67), attention (D2?=??1.24), processing speed (Coding?=??1.33; Trail Making Test A?=?1.81), and executive function (Trail Making Test B?=??1.15; Stroop?=??0.20; verbal-semantic fluency test?=?0.05; verbal fluency test?=??1.23). Conclusions: The majority of women who suffered gender-based violence presented clinical levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic symptoms. The cognitive functions with lower scores (Z < ?1.5) were working memory and processing speed, mediated by education factor.

Keywords

• gender-based violence
• battered women
• violence against women