A Comparative Study of Anxiety, Stress, and Depression in Physically Abused and non-Abused Iranian Wives

Objectives: The current study tested differences in depression, anxiety, and stress among Iranianwives with and without a history of spousal abuse.Methods: The physically abused wives (N = 40) were among those who had been referred to a localforensic medical center. The control group (N = 40) comprised married women living in the same areaof the city as the experimental group. The Persian form of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale(DASS-21) was administered for all subjects.Results: The results showed that for both groups, number of children and years of educationpredicted level of stress, anxiety, and depression. However, the abused wives scored higher ondepression, anxiety, and stress than the non-abused wives.Conclusion: Despite the traditional sex roles in Iran, the role of moderating factors, and itsdifferences with Western societies, it seems that, wife abuse leads to similar poor mental healthconsequences.Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (IJPBS), Volume 3, Number 2, Autumn/Winter 2009: 15-24.