Suicidality Among Battered Women in Tajikistan

This study examines the relationship between suicidality and women’s experiences with marital violence in Tajikistan, including the type of abuser and help-seeking behaviors of battered women. This is a descriptive study that also includes comparisons based on women’s demographics. Four hundred women in three districts of Khatlon Oblast, Tajikistan participated in this general population survey. Overall, women who experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their marriage and who told someone about the abuse were more likely to have suicidal thoughts and attempt suicide. The study’s implications for future research on issues of marital violence against women and female suicide are discussed.