Examining the effects of intimate partner violence on psychological distress between genders

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the association of intimate partner violence (IPV) on psychological variables including feelings of hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and past suicide attempts. Research on adult populations suggests a positive correlation between IPV and psychological distress; however, adolescent IPV and its relation to psychological distress remain an understudied correlation. Using the 2017 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey data analyses was conducted on responses obtained from anonymous questionnaires from a sample of adolescents ages 12-18 (n=14,765). Analysis of victims of IPV showed that males were more likely to report planned suicide and suicide attempts, while a higher percentage of females than males were more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless and suicidal ideation. Our findings confirm the inverse relationship between intimate partner violence and psychological distress. There is a surprising connection between IPV and psychological distress in men. Future research is needed to clarify the nature of these associations.