Two Fronts of Trauma: The Differential Effects of Intimate Partner Violence and Community Violence on PTSD in Rural Mexico.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and community violence exposure (CVE) are prevalent worldwide and linked to adverse psychological outcomes. Despite high rates of violence, scarce research has examined IPV and CVE simultaneously in Mexico, with no prior study in rural Mexico. The current study aimed to (a) identify rates of IPV and CVE among rural Mexican men and women, (b) examine how IPV and CVE independently and simultaneously contribute to PTSD symptoms, and (c) determine if, and to what degree, gender plays a role in shaping how men and women experience PTSD symptoms after violence. Data were drawn from a sample of 200 adults (M_age = 40.7, SD = 9.29) from a rural community in Mexico, with 79.5% women and 20.5% men. Four hierarchical regressions investigated the links between IPV, CVE, and PTSD symptoms, as well as the moderating role of gender. Women reported significantly higher rates of psychological and sexual IPV than men, with similar rates of physical IPV. CVE rates were high for both genders, with witnessing gunfire being the most common experience. Regression analyses showed that psychological IPV was the strongest predictor of PTSD symptoms (b = 0.05, p < .001), with a standardized effect size 1.58 times that of witnessing violence (b = 0.01, p < .05). Although there was no significant main effect of gender on PTSD symptoms, gender moderated the association between psychological IPV and PTSD, with men reporting significantly greater PTSD symptoms at high levels of psychological IPV. No significant interaction emerged for CVE and PTSD symptoms. Findings highlight the pronounced mental health consequences of psychological IPV and suggest a need for gender-sensitive interventions addressing IPV in rural Mexico.