Long-Term Mental Health Effects of Partner Violence Patterns and Relationship Termination on Low-Income and Ethnically Diverse Community Women

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with psychological distress; however, differences in the impact of unidirectional IPV, typically male-dominated, and bidirectional IPV have not been examined. To address this gap in the literature, we compared the effects of various IPV patterns on women's reports of dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress in 6 interviews over eight years. We also examined whether differences by IPV pattern existed in women's mental health upon leaving a violent relationship. The 489 low-income women completing all interviews were African American (40%), Euro-American (30%), and Mexican American (30%), over half of whom (58%) were no longer with Wave 1 partners by Wave 6. In general, worse mental health was associated with relationship termination and bidirectional violence.