“You wish that you had been beaten…”: Women’s experiences of spousal emotional abuse in Jordan: Risk factors and consequences

Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically spousal emotional abuse, is an international concern in diverse settings and populations. However, knowledge gaps regarding the lived experiences of Arab women remain. To contribute to furthering the global understanding of IPV, we examined Jordanian women’s experiences through structured interviews. Thirty women who experienced moderate-to-severe levels of emotional abuse were interviewed to share their lived experiences. Using thematic analysis, two major themes of emotional abuse were identified: risk factors and consequences, with subthemes including personal experiences, physical and mental health, outside influences, and impacts on children. Our results underscore the cultural awareness that may resonate with women’s experiences in other regions facing similar structural and gendered inequities. Adopting policies and interventions that target emotional abuse and its antecedents is recommended to minimize the risk of women’s exposure to emotional abuse and diminish the consequences of emotional abuse.