Family violence and depressive disorder in women and members of the family group in the jurisdiction of the Family Police Station of Lima

A systematic review of scientific articles available in open access in Spanish indexed in Scielo

Abstract

This article aims to systematize available scientific evidence on family violence and its relationship with depressive disorders. The research was oriented to the bibliographic investigation in the database of Scielo. It focused on the issue of domestic violence and the generation of mental illness, especially depressive disorders and guidelines to prevent them, which are useful for the investigative and assistance work of authorities, judicial operators and health professionals. Among the main results, it was found that depressive disorders are strongly associated with domestic violence. It was also established that women, especially pregnant women, exposed to violence by intimate partners, suffered from psychological abuse (showing depressive signs), followed by physical abuse, sexual violence and economic violence. In this regard, the MINP (November 2020) noted that, of 58 595 women subjected to family violence, between 18 and 59 years of age, 49.8% was due to psychological violence. On the other hand, children and adolescents were also affected in their mental health, as a result of the aggressions carried out by their parents, altering their psychosocial processes and becoming a risk factor for depressive symptoms or other self-destructive behaviors. In this sense, the MINSA reported that the most common disorders in infants and young people are due to emotional problems, such as depression or anxiety linked to domestic violence. Finally, older adults in the family group were also affected by some form of violence, especially psychological violence, especially adults between 70 and 79 years of age, who showed signs of depression.