Intimate partner violence (IPV) and associated factors: A cross-sectional study in community psychiatry

Introduction. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a relevant public health issue due to its consequences on physical and mental health (mainly depression and post traumatic stress disorder) and then on the healthcare system. Aims. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and consequences of IPV in a sample of women admitted to an outpatient clinic for anxiety and depression (VADEMECUM). Materials and methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 150 patients who entered the aforementioned outpatient clinic of the ASST San Gerardo Hospital in Monza (Italy) during the period October 2016-May 2017. All participants completed a screening questionnaire investigating IPV and the K6 questionnaire as index of psychological distress. Results. Among 150 women, 36 (24%) were victims of IPV: 35 with emotional abuse, 23 with physical abuse, and 7 with sexual abuse. In the "abused" group, 80% of women had psychic and physical health consequences, whilst 53% requested help from relatives/friends and/or healthcare staff. Conjugal status (p=0.024), voluntary pregnancy interruptions (p=0.015), anxiety episodes history (p=0.028), previous or current psychological treatment (p=0.001 and p=0.036, respectively), (K6) levels of psychological distress (p=0.0004) and child abuse (p=0.012) were significantly associated with IPV. Conclusions. "Abused" women have positive psychiatric history of anxiety, greater demand for psychological care, child abuse and worst psychological distress status compared to "not abused". This evidence as well as the high IPV prevalence found in our study suggest the need for appropriate screening and specific treatment pathways in psychiatric services.