Examining the bi-directional relationship between intimate partner violence and depression: Findings from a longitudinal study among women and men in rural Rwanda

Abstract

Several studies confirm that intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is associated with symptoms of depression among women and men. Less recognized, is the potential role that depression symptoms may play in elevating the risk for IPV victimization and/or perpetration. While both phenomena deserve attention as global health issues in their own right, establishing the extent to which depression symptoms may be a risk factor for IPV as well as a consequence, holds promise to motivate greater attention to mental health issues as part of population-based violence prevention efforts. To advance this area of research and practice, we investigate the bidirectional association between IPV and depression symptoms in the context of a community randomized trial testing a couples based IPV prevention intervention in rural Rwanda. Results indicate that women's experience of depression symptoms at baseline were associated with physical, sexual, physical and/or sexual, or high intensity emotional IPV victimization at 24 months. Men's experience of depression symptoms at baseline were also associated with perpetration of physical, physical and/or sexual IPV, and severe physical and/or sexual IPV at 24 months. IPV victimization and perpetration, in turn, was also associated with a risk for future depression. At baseline, women who experienced any type of IPV and men who perpetrated physical or physical and/or sexual IPV were more likely to report depression symptoms at 24 months. Our findings highlight the need for trauma informed approaches for IPV prevention as well as access to proximate and affordable mental health services to reduce IPV and improve women and men's mental health.