VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN / February 2001Tolman, Rosen / DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WELFARE Domestic Violence in the Lives of Women Receiving Welfare Mental Health, Substance Dependence, and Economic Well-Being

Using data from a random sample of women from the welfare caseload in an urban Michi-gan county, the authors investigate the prevalence of domestic violence and its associa-tion with mental health, health, and economic well-being. Nearly a quarter of the women experienced physical partner violence in the past 12 months, and almost two thirds in their lifetimes. Recent victims had significantly higher rates of five psychiatric disorders (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug depend-ence, and alcohol dependence) and health problems than women who never experienced domestic violence. Recent partner violence was also associated with greater material hardship. Analyses did not indicate any significant association between domestic vio-lence, past or present, and employment. Although domestic violence is clearly a problem for women of all socioeconomic groups (Plichta, 1996; Straus & Gelles, 1990; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000), attention must be given to low-income women who suffer from domestic violence victimization. A num