Depression and anxiety among men experiencing intimate partner violence in the US

Intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by men has not been well documented in the United States. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of lifetime and past year IPV and associated health outcomes from a national sample of adult men (n=13,804). Data were from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system (BRFSS) survey and included 5 questions assessing lifetime and past year physical and non-physical intimate partner violence. Current depression, and lifetime depression and anxiety (based on Patient Health Questionnaire-8) were examined. Overall 9.8% of men reported experiencing IPV in the 12 months prior to being surveyed, and 11.64% reported ever experiencing IPV in their lifetime. The perpetrators of latest IPV were 85% female; 10% did not specify a gender. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of IPV exposure on mental health outcomes, adjusting for demographic covariates. Men that experienced IPV in their lifetime were more likely to be currently depressed (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.26 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.22-4.80), to have ever had a depressive episode (OR=1.77, CI 1.24-2.54) or anxiety episode (OR=1.54, CI 1.08-2.2). The severity of current depression increased markedly among those experiencing IPV compared to men that did not: mild (OR=1.72, CI 1.29-2.28), moderate (OR=3.01, CI 1.87-4.86), and severe (OR=5.63, CI 3.23, 9.84). Ever experiencing IPV has a significant impact on the mental health of affected men. Further research is needed to identify the context, duration, and severity of IPV so that effective interventions can be developed.