The Effect of Intimate Partner Violence on Mental Health Status Among Women of Reproductive Ages: A Population-Based Study in a Middle Anatolian City

Abstract

Violence against women has been recognized as both a major public health problem and a human rights violation worldwide. Research has documented the association between physical/sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health, measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) among women in reproductive age. This study underlines that different types of IPV is independently associated with mental health status. Results also show effects of IPV on mental health may not only be immediate but also be long term. These findings suggest that efforts to identify women with mental health problems should include screening for the types and history of IPV victimization.