Abstract
This study assessed the relationships between different perpetrator-victim roles in intimate partner violence (IPV), emotion regulation (ER) and mental health problems among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. From April to June 2019, 1233 participants were approached via gay-friendly non-governmental organisations in 15 cities across mainland China. Of the total, 578 eligible participants completed an anonymous online survey. All participants provided informed consent and information about their violent perpetrator-victim role and mental health status. The results revealed a high prevalence of IPV in this study sample, with 32.7% of participants reporting IPV victimisation and 32.5% of participants reporting IPV perpetration during their lifetime. A total of 81 (14.0%) participants were suicidal, 309 (53.5%) participants reported poor general mental health and 208 (36.0%) had significant depressive symptoms. Adjusted logistic regression models revealed that both physical victimisation (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] = 3.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11-9.32) and sexual victimisation (ORa = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.39-6.05) had positive associations with suicidality, and unidirectional and bidirectional psychological perpetration were associated with poor general mental health and significant depressive symptoms. Although high cognitive reappraisal showed a negative association with poor general mental health (ORa = 0.89，95% CI = 0.86-0.92), the correlation with victims of IPV was weaker than it was with non-victims. This study revealed that different perpetrator-victim roles in different IPV situations should be considered comprehensively in research, prevention and intervention. ER is not enough to buffer the effects of IPV on the mental health of MSM victims.
Highlights
According to limited studies, Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) have a high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) (Dunkle et al, 2013; Davis et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2018)
It has been suggested that MSM who are victims of IPV are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms and suicidality (Devries et al, 2013; Buller et al, 2014; Parker et al, 2015; Kazan et al, 2016), and the prevalence and severity of mental health problems are higher among individuals who are both perpetrator and victim
We found no sociodemographic difference between the perpetrators and the nonperpetrators or between the victims and the non-victims ( p < 0.05)
Summary
Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM) have a high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) (Dunkle et al, 2013; Davis et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2018). It has been suggested that MSM who are victims of IPV are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms and suicidality (Devries et al, 2013; Buller et al, 2014; Parker et al, 2015; Kazan et al, 2016), and the prevalence and severity of mental health problems are higher among individuals who are both perpetrator and victim (bidirectional violence; Ulloa and Hammett, 2016). The association between different experiences of IPV
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