The Impact of Resource Constraints on the Psychological Well-Being of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence over Time

This study examined the impact of resource constraints on the psychological well-being of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), testing whether resource constraints is one mechanism that partially mediates the relationship between IPV and women's well-being. Although within-woman changes in resource constraints did not mediate the relationship between change in physical abuse and change in well-being, change in resource constraints fully explained the relationship between change in psychological abuse and change in psychological well-being over time. Survivors' resource constraints were fully responsible for the significant mental health consequences that women experienced after psychological abuse. Between-women differences in initial resource constraints were also examined; however, they did not mediate the relationship between women's earlier experiences of abuse and change in their well-being over time. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)