Intimate partner violence and incidence of depression in married women: A longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has a serious detrimental effect on mental health outcomes. We aimed to investigate the association of verbal or physical IPV with incidence of depressive symptoms in both married women and men according to the victim-perpetrator role. The potential mediating role of verbal or physical IPV in the association between satisfaction level with family relationships or childhood adversity and the incidence of depressive symptoms in married adults was also explored.

Methods: The Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) in 2006 and 2007 dataset was analyzed for 9217 married respondents aged 19 years or older. Physical and verbal IPV was assessed according to victim-perpetrator role in 2006. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, 11-item version in 2006 and 2007. Association of IPV with incidental depressive symptoms was investigated with logistic regression analysis fully-adjusted for all potential confounding factors.

Results: The bidirectional role of verbal IPV and victimization by physical IPV led to incidence of depressive symptoms in married women. Verbal IPV significantly mediated the association between satisfaction level with the family relationship and incidental depressive symptoms in women.

Limitations: We did not investigate the influence of premorbid depressive symptoms on new-onset IPV.

Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate that gender and the victim-perpetrator role are critical moderating factors in the association between IPV and depressive symptom incidence using a nationally representative sample.

Keywords: Depression; Gender; Intimate partner violence; Longitudinal study; Perpetration; Victimization.