Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Aug 10;10(1):dvae012.
doi: 10.1093/eep/dvae012. eCollection 2024.

Epigenetics of violence against women: a systematic review of the literature

Paolo Bailo  1 , Andrea Piccinini  2   3 , Giussy Barbara  3   4   5 , Palmina Caruso  2 , Valentina Bollati  5 , Simona Gaudi  6
Affiliations
Review

Epigenetics of violence against women: a systematic review of the literature

Paolo Bailo et al. Environ Epigenet. .

Abstract

Violence against women is a pervasive global issue with profound impacts on victims' well-being, extending across cultural boundaries. Besides immediate physical harm, it triggers mental health consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Indeed, it is the trauma experienced during a violent event that can lead to epigenetic modifications, ultimately contributing to the onset of PTSD. While research on the epigenetic effects of trauma initially focused on war veterans and disaster survivors, there is a dearth of studies on violence against women. In this article, we performed a systematic review aimed to fill this gap, examining existing studies on the epigenetic impact of violence on women. The review assessed sample sizes, study validity, and gene-specific investigations. Currently, there is insufficient data for a comprehensive meta-analysis, highlighting a nascent stage in understanding this complex issue. Future research is crucial for deeper insights into the epigenetic mechanisms related to violence against women, contributing to improved interventions and support healthcare systems for affected individuals.

Keywords: PTSD; epigenetics; intimate partner violence; sexual violence; stress-related disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Review search strategy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization . Global and Regional Estimates of Violence Against Women: Prevalence and Health Effects of Intimate Partner Violence and Non-Partner Sexual Violence. World Health Organization Publications. Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564625 (20 March 2024, date last accessed).
    1. Barbier A, Chariot P, Lefèvre T. Intimate partner violence against ever-partnered women in Europe: prevalence and associated factors-results from the violence against women EU-wide survey. Front Public Health 2022;10:1033465. - PMC - PubMed
    1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . About Intimate Partner Violence. https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/index.html (16 July 2024, date last accessed).
    1. Chandan JS, Thomas T, Bradbury-Jones C et al. Risk of cardiometabolic disease and all-cause mortality in female survivors of domestic abuse. JAMA 2020;9:e014580. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stubbs A, Szoeke C. The effect of intimate partner violence on the physical health and health-related behaviors of women: a systematic review of the literature. Trauma Violence Abuse 2022;23:1157–72. - PubMed