Examining Mental Health Outcomes of Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Survivors in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study.

Objective: Intimate partner violence (IPV) significantly affects women's health, but the lack of control groups in past studies hinders identifying high-risk populations and establishing evidence-based interventions. This study examines the link between IPV and women's mental health outcomes.

Methods: A nationwide database was used in this case-control study. The study targeted adult women aged 18-64 in 2019 and employed a case-control study design with a total sample size of 71,512 participants. Data were sourced from the Ministry of Health enrollment files, cause of death statistics, and outpatient and inpatient claims data. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the association between IPV with mental health outcomes and personal characteristics. Additionally, conditional logistic regression models were applied to investigate the impact of IPV on women's mental health outcomes.

Results: Compared with nonvictims, women who experienced IPV had significantly lower socioeconomic status and were at higher risk for various mental health outcomes. These included bipolar disorder (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 5.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.16-8.38), alcohol and substance abuse (adjusted OR = 4.84, 95% CI: 2.88-8.14), depression (adjusted OR = 4.67, 95% CI: 3.91-5.58), schizophrenia (adjusted OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.80-3.12), and anxiety (adjusted OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.98-2.81).

Conclusions: This study identified several mental disorders highly associated with IPV among adult women, with particular emphasis on bipolar disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, and depression. Insights into high-risk mental health disorders will help clinical staff be alert to IPV and provide a reference for policy planning of IPV counseling and intervention.