Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is the term used to describe a pattern of signs and symptoms that are commonly found in women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence. The syndrome is listed in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, but is not listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), as no subcategories of the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are listed in the latter nosology. Nonetheless, because women who evidence the signs and symptoms of BWS also meet the criteria for PTSD, it is often used as a classification to guide treatment plans and forensic issues. There is usually a description of the dynamics of the ...

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