Domestic violence and women's mental health in Japan.

There are positive changes in both the social and legal understanding of domestic violence in Japan. However, the scope of the problem has not been investigated in depth and described in the Japanese nursing literature. This descriptive study of a random sample of 177 women investigated domestic violence and the relationship between domestic violence and the mental health of the victims. Sixty-seven per cent of the female respondents reported having experiences of physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse. Forty-seven per cent of the abused women achieved statistically significant General Health Questionnaire scores that indicated clinical depression or anxiety. The findings of this study will enable Japanese nurses to better assess and intervene on behalf of their patients. In addition, avenues for further nursing research are suggested.