The purposes of this descriptive study were to: (a) describe the identifiable characteristics of the population of battered women; (b) examine mental health aspects by means of measuring level of anxiety, self-esteem, and depression.

A convenience sample of 96 battered women was recruited from women who were admitted to a shelter.

Data from this study supported the assertion that many battered women were exposed to severe physical abusive situations. Also the major finding was that the levels of anxiety and depression were high and the level of self-esteem was low in battered women living in shelters.