Objective: This study employed latent class analysis to identify profiles of women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) based on the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Method: Self-report data from a sample of 369 women experiencing bidirectional IPV was used.
Results: A 3-class solution comprising low, moderate, and high PTSD severity profiles best fit the data. Profiles were differentially related to whether IPV victimization was considered traumatic (PTSD criterion A); whether functioning was impaired as a result of PTSD symptoms (PTSD criterion F); whether the woman met full diagnostic criteria for PTSD; depression symptom severity; and severity of psychological, physical, and sexual IPV victimization and use of IPV. An extremely high percentage of women in the high (96%) and moderate (88%) severity classes experienced functional impairment, although many did not meet full diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
Conclusions: Findings support the need for interventions individually tailored to one's treatment needs based on the nature of one's traumatic stressor and the impact of PTSD on daily functioning.
Keywords: PTSD; domestic violence; intimate partner violence; substance use, depression; traumatic stress; women's aggression.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.