The association between intimate partner violence onset and gender-specific depression: A longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample

Abstract

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social problem that is often hidden, unnoticed or ignored. However, few studies have explored the effects of partner violence onset and/or persistence on the mental health of individuals. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association between IPV onset and depressive symptoms in both married men and women. MethodsIn this study, nationally representative data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study were employed to track 1040 men and 3732 women for a period of six years (2010–2015). Depressive symptoms were scored according to the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-11). ResultsOf our study population, 415 men (39.9%) and 866 women (23.2%) suffered from continuous intimate partner violence, meaning that they reported experience of IPV in both the previous and current year of investigation. Such subjects had significantly higher CES-D-11 scores (men β: 1.745, p ≤ 0001; women β: 1.970, p ≤ 0001) as did subjects whose partners turned violent from non-violent (men β: 1.623, p ≤ 0001; women β: 1.594, p ≤ 0001) than those with continuously non-violent partners (reference group). Subjects whose partners turned non-violent from violent continued to be more depressed (men β: 0.312, p ≤ 009; women β: 0.880, p ≤ 000) than those with continuously non-violent partners. Through subgroup analysis, we also found that lower SES, as a covariate relative to educational attainment, household income, and economic status, was associated with worsened depression following IPV onset. Unemployed women with consistently violent partners (β: 2.957, p ≤ .0001) and unemployed men with newly violent partners (β: 3.010, p ≤ .0001) were more depressed than the employed or self-employed. ConclusionOur findings reveal that continuous IPV, as well as its onset, can have serious consequences for the mental health of its victims.