Self-efficacy and social support as mediators of mental health among abused women.

Sensitive outcomes were self-reported, so answers may have been influenced by wanting to give acceptable responses. Attrition was substantial, with 51 of 70 intervention participants and 59 of 70 control participants completing postpartum follow-up. The intervention was brief and mostly a single session, and few women used the optional telephone support, so it may not sustain gains. The intervention included counseling and education, a booklet, and telephone support, so the effect of any single component cannot be separated. The study was done in one antenatal clinic in Nepal, and the authors say findings need replication. Partner abuse, birth of a new baby, and relocation were not considered, although they can affect domestic violence risk and recovery.

The authors declared no conflict of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source.

Do not conclude that raising self-efficacy or social support alone caused lasting improvement. The intervention included counseling and education, an information booklet, and telephone support, and the mediation analysis cannot prove a single causal mechanism. At postpartum follow-up, social support no longer carried the intervention effect, and gains reduced over time.