Relationship between Domestic Violence and Cognitive Functions in Women Victim of Spouse Abuse: Mediating Role of the Self-Regulation and Psychological Distress

Domestic violence could cause different types of physical and mental consequences for women. This may threaten safety of the family. Women are more prone to be the victims of violence particularly partners’ one. One of the important consequences of violence is cognitive dysfunctioning. Domestic violence could be considered as an environmental stressor factor which in turn could affect cognitive functions. Surviving from the influence of a domestic violence is in direct relation with the cognitive capabilities of abused women. Therefore, investigation on the effect of domestic violence on cognitive functioning of women suffering from domestic violence is an important issue. The effect of violence on cognitive functions may occur throughout other psychological variables. That is why in the current study, the mediating role of self-regulation and psychological Distress relating domestic violence and cognitive functions is investigated.
The current study is a fundamental research. Considering that, the study of the relationship between the interested variables has been conducted on a limited number of abused women, it is a descriptive-correlative type of research. The relationship between the parameters is analyzed based on the research objectives. The subject community is abused women referred to different branches of Tehran Forensic Medicine Center in 2017-2018. 200 abused women are asked to participate in this study. They are selected on a purposive sampling method based on entry-exit criteria and after seeking their acceptances. Miller & Brown (1999) Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ), DASS-21 Questionnaire (1995), Pour Naghash Tehrani (2004) Domestic Violence Questionnaire and MONTREAL cognitive assessment scale (2005) were utilized as the instruments of research variables.
Results are analyzed by means of SPSS and LISREL software. The conceptual model connecting domestic violence to the cognitive functioning throughout the above mentioned mediating parameters are examined. The outcomes supported a suitable fitness for the proposed model, since the statistical indicators such as RMSEA, GFI, MFI, AGFI … showed satisfactory values.
Present study shows that the experience of domestic violence creates significant cognitive dysfunctioning through the mediating factors such as loss of self-regulation capability and Psychological Distress. By means of these findings, families and social organizations such and women’s shelter and support centers can offer suitable educational programs and treatment to prevent the continuation of the violence.