Prevalence of Spouse Abuse, and Evaluation of Mental Health Status in Female Victims of Spousal Violence in Tehran

Spouse abuse is a worldwide health concern with prevalent psychiatric and medical consequencesin victims. the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of spouse abuse among a group ofwomen living in tehran and survey their mental health status.methods: totally, 1186 married women were selected through a randomized systematic sampling from 22districts of tehran. initial data were obtained by demographic questionnaire, spouse abuse questionnaire (saq)and general health questionnaire - 28 (ghq-28). data were analyzed using student's unpaired t-test or ÷2 test,when appropriate.results: of 1186 women, 980 (82.6%) were physically and sexually abused, however, 818 (68.9%) werephysically and emotionally and 835 (70.5%) were sexually and emotionally abused by their husbands. spouseabused women, especially emotionally and physically abused clients had higher ghq-28 scores in all thecomponents of the test while their differences with non-abused women were statistically significant. this isinterpreted as poor mental health status among these victims.conclusion: our results revealed the high prevalence of maltreatment against women living in tehran.meanwhile, our victims were more commonly suffered from anxiety and depressive disorders and achieved poormental health status and low social performance.iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences (ijpbs), volume 3, number 1, spring and summer 2009: 50-56 .