Associations between intimate partner violence and posttraumatic stress symptom severity in a multiethnic sample of men with histories of childhood sexual abuse.

Abstract

Little research exists identifying risk factors for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among men with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who have been exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). One hundred and fifty African American, Latino and non-Latino White men with histories of CSA participated in this study. An ordinary least squares regression model with race/ethnicity, HIV serostatus, and CSA severity treated as cofounders and with IPV as the predictor was fitted to predict level of PTSS. Higher levels of IPV were significantly associated with higher PTSS, as were higher levels of chronic stress, and being African American. Mental health service providers should routinely screen for IPV in men who report histories of CSA and PTSS.