Analysis of unseen bruises among spouses in Ife: A feminist-interpretivist approach

Abstract

Spousal violence against women is a prevalent social problem in the world which is without cultural, religious, social, economic, geographic or national boundaries. Previous researches conducted viewed this from a quantitative perspective but this research is from a qualitative angle. Two communities in Ife municipality were selected. This paper seeks to find out how power and control has affected the mental health of women. The sample size is made up of 16 participants comprising 10 survivors of spousal violence within the age of 15-49 years and six medical personnel within the age of 20 - 65 years. In-depth interview and case study was adopted as research instruments for primary data collection. Findings revealed that the women suffered the following mental health effects; fear, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and eating disorder. In conclusion, this study observed that power and control is directly linked to severe mental distress in women.