Association Between Intimate Partner Violence Against Women and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a major public health and human rights issue worldwide. This study investigated the association between IPV and mental health among women in Greece. We used the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) to measure levels of IPV in the past 12 months. Lifetime experience of physical, psychological/emotional, and sexual IPV was assessed using three dichotomous (yes/no) self-report items. We used validated scales to measure anxiety-like and depressive-like symptoms, sleep quality, self-esteem, loneliness and life satisfaction. In our sample (n = 1212), 32.4% of women screened positive for past-year IPV on the WAST, while 38.5%, 68.4%, and 19.3% reported lifetime physical, psychological/emotional and sexual IPV respectively. Higher levels of past-year IPV were associated with more anxiety-like and depressive-like symptoms, worse sleep quality, lower self-esteem, greater loneliness, and lower life satisfaction. Lifetime physical and sexual IPV were associated with higher levels of anxiety-like and depressive-like symptoms, worse sleep quality, and lower life satisfaction. Also, lifetime sexual abuse was associated with greater loneliness. Women who reported lifetime psychological/emotional IPV demonstrated worse sleep quality and lower self-esteem. In conclusion, in this convenience sample of women in Greece, IPV was associated with worse mental health and psychosocial well-being.