Psychiatric Comorbidity, Personality Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence Among Men With Alcohol Use Disorder: Independent Correlates and Exploratory Risk Profiles From North India

INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common among men with alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet the relative contributions of psychiatric comorbidity, personality disorders and dependence severity remain uncertain. We explored the prevalence and correlates of IPV perpetration among treatment-seeking men with AUD. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 100 consecutive men with AUD attending a tertiary psychiatry service in North India were assessed using the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III and the World Health Organization Domestic Violence Questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent correlates of IPV; exploratory analyses examined IPV prevalence across combinations of dependence severity, psychiatric comorbidity and personality disorders. RESULTS: Forty-one percent reported IPV perpetration in the preceding 12 months. Psychiatric comorbidity (adjusted odds ratio 6.66, 95% confidence interval 2.10, 21.11), personality disorder (adjusted odds ratio 6.26, 95% confidence interval 1.79, 21.92) and alcohol-use duration > 10 years (adjusted odds ratio 5.96, 95% confidence interval 1.55, 22.84) were independently associated with IPV; SADQ severity was not (adjusted odds ratio 2.34, p = 0.062). IPV prevalence was highest among participants with both psychiatric comorbidity and personality disorder (21 of 22; 95.5%). Among those with psychiatric comorbidity, IPV prevalence was consistently high (75%-77%) across SADQ severity categories. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric comorbidity and personality disorders were more strongly associated with IPV perpetration than dependence severity. Routine psychiatric assessment may help identify patients at elevated IPV risk. Prospective studies are needed to establish temporal relationships and whether treating comorbid conditions reduces IPV.