Domestic Violence Exposure and Psychological Adjustment Among Women in Abeokuta, Ogun State, South West Nigeria

Domestic violence is a pervasive social problem in Nigeria with profound psychological consequences for affected women, yet the relationship between violence exposure patterns and specific psychological adjustment indicators remains understudied at the community level in South West states. This study examines the relationship between domestic violence exposure and psychological adjustment among women in Abeokuta, Ogun State. A cross-sectional descriptive survey is conducted with 230 women aged 18 to 55 years recruited from two community health centres and a women's cooperative society through purposive sampling. The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale is used to assess violence exposure, while psychological adjustment is measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and the Adjustment Disorder New Module-8. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression are computed in SPSS. Available literature from South West Nigerian community studies identifies physical and psychological violence as the most prevalent forms of domestic violence, with post-traumatic stress and depression as the dominant psychological consequences, exacerbated by low education and economic dependency. The Cycle of Abuse Theory and the Feminist Ecological Model of Violence provide the theoretical framework. Findings are expected to reveal significant associations between frequency of violence exposure and severity of psychological adjustment difficulties. Outcomes will support the design of community-based psychological intervention services in Ogun State. Keywords: domestic violence, psychological adjustment, women, Abeokuta, South West Nigeria.