NCJ Number
220923
Journal
Psychiatric Services Volume: 58 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2007 Pages: 822-829
Date Published
June 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined risk factors and ethnic differences in the link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and unmet need for mental health treatment (perceived need for such treatment without receiving it) in the general U.S. population.
Abstract
The study found that victims of IPV were twice as likely as nonvictims to report an unmet need for mental health services, after controlling for socioeconomic factors and substance abuse. In ethnic-specific models, only Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women who experienced IPV were more likely than their nonabused counterparts to report an unmet need for mental health treatment. Black women who had experienced IPV were not at increased risk of unmet need for mental health care; however, lack of health insurance, employment status, and income level were independently associated with unmet need. Illicit drug use increased threefold the odds of having unmet mental health needs. These findings highlight the need for the development of culturally sensitive and specific outreach to ethnic minority communities regarding the effects of IPV on women's mental health. Future research should address issues related to sociocultural factors and structural factors that may impede access to or the use of mental health treatment services, with a focus on victims of IPV. Data for this study were obtained from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The current analysis included Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White women 18-49 years old who were cohabiting with a partner (n=7,924). The outcome measure was unmet need for mental health treatment in the past year. The exposure measure was defined as any IPV in the previous 12 months. Other variables measured were substance use and sociodemographic characteristics. 2 tables and 70 references