A study on emotional dependence and coping strategies in women victims of domestic violence

Abstract

The objective of the present investigation was to determine the relationship between emotional dependence and coping strategies in women victims of the violence of their partner and inhabitants of the community of Huaycan, in Lima, Peru. The design of the research was non-experimental, cross-sectional and correlational in scope. The instruments used were the Emotional Dependency Questionnaire (CDE) created by Leary in 1997 and validated by Lemos and Londoño (2006), the Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI), prepared by Lazarus and Folkman in 1981, validated by Cano, Rodríguez and Gracia in 2007. The sample consisted of 90 women. It was found that emotional dependence is not related to coping strategies. However, a significant relationship was found between emotional dependence and the cognitive restructuring dimensions (rho -, 307 p <0.05), emotional expression (rho =, 270 p> 0.05) and desiderative thinking (rho =, 343 p <0.05). It is concluded that, the greater the emotional dependence of women, the lower the capacity to restructure or perceive that a problem is being experienced. On the other hand, it was found that the more emotionally dependent on women, the greater the emotional reactions and the difficulties in changing the thoughts that produce discomfort.