Intimate partner violence-related experiences and mental health among college students in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan

The impact of intimate partner violence on depressive symptoms among college students: A moderated mediation model of the big five personality traits and perceived social support

BACKGROUND

Previous study has identified a connection between intimate partner violence (IPV) and depressive symptoms. However, the underlying mechanisms of this connection have not yet been well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of big five personality traits and perceived social support on the association between IPV and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among college students in 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities in China from June to August 2022. Intimate Partner Violence Questionnaire was used to measure the frequency of exposure to IPV. The big five personality traits were measured by 10-item Big Five Inventory, Perceptive Social Support Scale-3 items was used to estimate the degree of perceived social support and the data on depressive symptoms were collected by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items. We used data from the "Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents in 2022", which includes 6686 valid questionnaires of college students. The PROCESS macro developed by Hayes was utilized to perform moderated mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Among college students, IPV had a significant direct impact on depressive symptoms. Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism mediated the association between IPV and depressive symptoms (β = -0.08, P < 0.001; β = -0.08, P < 0.001; β = -0.14, P < 0.001; β = 0.20, P < 0.001). Perceived social support significantly moderated the mediating role of the big five personality traits between IPV and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, perceived social support moderated the direct relationship between IPV and depressive symptoms (β = 0.34, P < 0.001), as well as the indirect path of extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and the first half of the mediating role of conscientiousness. Moreover, perceived social support was one of the preventive factors that could effectively mitigate the harmful effects of IPV, neuroticism and depressive symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

As this was a cross-sectional study, we were unable to investigate causal relationships between variables. The prevalence of IPV and depressive symptoms were self-reported by the college students, and there may be reporting bias. Additionally, this study only explored the influence and mechanism from the integrated dimension of IPV and PSSS, due to spatial constraints.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings contribute to the existing understanding by clarifying the fundamental mechanisms linking IPV and depressive symptoms. These results may serve as a valuable reference for the Chinese government to improve mental health among college students.

Family support and psychological distress among commuter college students

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess how perceptions of family support (instrumental and relational-emotional) are related to psychological distress among commuter students and whether household income, gender, year in college and first-generation status moderate this association. Participants: Undergraduate students at a suburban commuter college in the Northeast during October/November 2019. Methods: Students completed an online survey comprised of measures of psychological distress, family support and sociodemographic information. Data were analyzed using independent t tests, bivariate correlations, and regressions. Results: On average, participants exhibited "high distress," mean = 23.29 (SD = 8.93). Distress scores differed by income background and gender. Lower income students and females exhibited significantly higher levels of distress. Increased relational-emotional support was associated with decreased distress for lower income and female students. Instrumental support was not associated distress. Conclusion: A family component to mental health counseling could be beneficial for commuter students.

Is Campus a Place of (In)Security and Crime? Perceptions and Predictors among Higher Education Students

This paper addresses subjective insecurity, namely perceptions of (in)security and criminal variables on campus among Portuguese higher education students. Additionally, predictors of perceptions of (in)security and gender differences were also examined. The participants were 775 students and data were collected through the “Diagnosis of Local Security Questionnaire”. Robbery, physical assault, theft, and sexual offenses were the most feared crimes. Additionally, robbery, theft, and public property damage were perceived as the most common on campus. Alcohol/drug consumption and juvenile conflicts/delinquency were the main reasons justifying criminal occurrences. Sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, education, and years of campus attendance, as well as criminal variables (e.g., perceived trend of crime, criminal occurrences, and crime promoters) predicted perceptions of (in)security. Females reported more fear than males of robbery, sexual offenses, physical aggression, and domestic violence. Therefore, preventive measures, including in the social domain and physical spaces, are mandatory to reduce violence on campus.

Relationship Dynamics and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Chinese College Students

In China, most intimate partner violence (IPV) research focuses on male perpetration and female victimization, whereas studies on dating violence and female IPV perpetration are less common. Although research on female IPV perpetration in China has surfaced recently, there have been limited studies examining factors related to female perpetration in dating relationships in China. In the current research, we sought to examine how relationship factors, including anger management, communication problems, relationship conflict, and relationship distress, are linked with female physical and psychological IPV perpetration. We included 857 female college students in three regions in China from the International Dating Violence database. We found that Chinese women's anger management skills and communication problems were both significantly associated with physical and psychological IPV perpetration on both minor and severe levels. Furthermore, we found that relationship conflict was significantly associated with minor and severe physical abuse perpetration and severe psychological abuse perpetration. Anger management skills moderated the negative effects of relationship conflict on minor physical IPV perpetration as well as minor and severe psychological IPV perpetration. Anger management skills also moderated the negative effects of relationship distress on minor and severe physical IPV perpetration among Chinese women. Our findings suggest that it may be important to explore the role of college women's anger management skills, communication problems, and conflict resolution skills in their dating relationships, as well as to develop female-based intervention programs to increase Chinese college women's relationship skills to reduce their levels of IPV perpetration.

The Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Association With Depression in University Students: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among university students, investigate the potential predictors of IPV in this population, and study the link between IPV and depression. The survey included sociodemographic, relationship quality, and depression-related questions. From 498 respondents, the prevalence of IPV was 4.8%, depression was 30.9%, and suicidal ideation was 20.3%. After adjusting for covariates and confounders, relationship satisfaction (odds ratio [OR], 0.201; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.101-0.401; p < 0.001) and jealousy (OR, 0.270; 95% CI, 0.094-0.776; p = 0.015) were significant predictors of IPV. Relationship satisfaction predicted depressive disorders (OR, 0.504; 95% CI, 0.365-0.698; p < 0.001). IPV trended toward predicting the presence of a depressive disorder (OR, 0.436; 95% CI, 0.170-1.113; p = 0.083). Relationship satisfaction and jealousy predicted IPV. Although IPV did not predict depression, poor relationship satisfaction increased the odds of depression, implicating the influence of relationship satisfaction on both IPV and depression.

The relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma centrality, interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity among students in Kazakhstan: a Latent Class Analysis

BACKGROUND

Trauma can lead to trauma centrality and affect levels of interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity. Whether a coexisting relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma centrality can influence levels of interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity among university students from Kazakhstan is unknown.

AIM

To investigate the impact of the aforementioned co-existing relationship on interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity among Kazakh university students.

METHODS

597 students (F = 428, M = 169) completed questionnaires measuring PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity, interpersonal sensitivity, and trauma centrality.

RESULTS

28%, 32% and 40% met the criteria for full, partial and no-PTSD, respectively. Latent Class Analysis revealed a three-class solution: Class 1 (the altered-self group) with a low level of PTSD but a high level of trauma centrality, Class 2 (the traumatized-self group) with high levels of PTSD and trauma centrality and Class 3 (the low symptom group) with low levels of PTSD and trauma centrality. There were significant differences in the levels of interpersonal sensitivity and psychiatric co-morbidity across three classes.

CONCLUSION

There are individual differences in the display of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and trauma centrality. These differences can influence interaction with others and psychological distress.

Who Are the Victims and Who Are the Perpetrators in Dating Violence? Sharing the Role of Victim and Perpetrator

BACKGROUND

Dating violence (DV) is a serious problem with devastating consequences. Often, research on DV has focused on two distinct groups: victims and perpetrators. However, there is growing evidence for a victim-perpetrator overlap model, which posits that those involved in DV are more likely to take on both roles, rather than either role on its own.

PURPOSE

We investigated the patterns of involvement in DV among those who identified themselves as victims or perpetrators in previous studies.

METHOD

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 371 variables related to participants' previous and concurrent experiences of DV victimization or perpetration (202 variables related to victimization and 169 related to perpetration) were identified in 25 studies, which were found by systematically searching three databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS.

RESULTS

The majority of previous studies categorized study participants as either DV victims or perpetrators; however, those who identified themselves as either DV victims or DV perpetrators were more likely to assume the opposite role as well. Specifically, current DV perpetrators had a strong association with previous or concurrent victimization experiences, and current DV victims were similarly likely to have assumed the roles of both victim and perpetrator in their histories.

CONCLUSION

Further efforts should be put into avoiding categorization of those involved in violence; rather, they should be regarded as a single group. Additionally, evidence-based interventions should be developed for this population to help break the cycle of violence.

The impact of past trauma on psychological distress among Chinese students: The roles of cognitive distortion and alexithymia

Past traumatic events are distressing experiences which can result in the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and other psychological symptoms among university students. However, little is known as to whether or not cognitive distortion and alexithymia would influence the severity of these distress outcomes. This study examined a cognitive-emotional framework depicting potential roles that cognitive distortion and alexithymia could play in influencing the relationship between past trauma and psychiatric co-morbidities among university students in China. One thousand one hundred and eleven participants completed the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Cognitive Distortion Scale (CDS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Results indicated that PTSD following past trauma was significantly associated with increased psychiatric co-morbidities after controlling for covariates. Both alexithymia and distorted cognition mediated the association between PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidities. To conclude, university students can develop PTSD from past trauma and other mental health problems. The severity of psychological distress can be influenced by their distorted perceptions of themselves, the world, and the future, as well as their ability to identify, describe, and express distressing emotions.

Types of non-psychotic mental disorders in adult women who suffered intimate partner violence: an integrative review

OBJECTIVE

Identifying the types of non-psychotic mental disorders in adult women who suffered intimate partner violence in the literature.

METHOD

An integrative review carried out in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases.

RESULTS

We selected 19 articles published in international journals in English, with a predominance of cross-sectional study studies (78.9%). The most common types of non-psychotic mental disorders were: depression (73.7%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (52.6%). It was observed that 78.9% of the articles presented a 2C level of evidence.

CONCLUSION

Studies have shown that adult women who are victims of intimate partner violence mostly suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as other morbidities; a fact that highlights how devastating violence by an intimate partner can impact on the mental health of those who experience it.

Childhood Abuse, Religious Involvement, and Substance Abuse Among Latino-American Men in the United States

PURPOSE

Childhood abuse/victimization and subsequent substance abuse are significant behavioral health problems among developed countries. In the United States (U.S.), however, few studies have examined whether this early trauma exacerbates adulthood substance abuse, viewed as a negative coping strategy, among Latino-American men. Furthermore, little is known about how collectivist cultural factors (i.e., ethnic identity, social support, and religious involvement), indicating potentially positive coping resources, were related to substance abuse in this largest minority-male population.

METHOD

We investigated Latino-American men (N = 1127) in a nationally representative U.S. sample, using logistic regression analysis adjusting known demographic and acculturation correlates.

RESULTS

The results identified considerably elevated rates of childhood physical abuse/victimization (35.7 %) and lifetime substance abuse (17.3 %). Childhood physical (not sexual) abuse/victimization was positively associated with lifetime substance abuse, alongside age, being U.S.-born, and perceived discrimination. Latino-American men with lifetime substance abuse reported more religious coping.

CONCLUSION

Findings may contribute to the design of culturally competent behavioral care.

Depression and intimate partner violence among college students in Iran

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health threat and causes mental as well as physical health problems. Depression is a common mental health consequence of IPV. While Iran has a high prevalence of IPV and depression, the association between IPV and depression has not been well examined. The Iranian data from the International Dating Violence Study (IDVS) 2001-2006 (ICPSR 29583) were analyzed. Twenty-three male and 75 female college students were selected in the IDVS Iranian data. Nearly all of the participants, male and female, reported being victims and perpetrators of IPV. Female participants were more likely to report depression compared to male participants. Participants who had experienced sexual IPV reported significantly higher levels of depression compared to those who did not experience sexual IPV. However, when substance abuse and partner conflict were analyzed, the contribution of sexual IPV on depression was no longer significant. This study suggests that IPV prevention and intervention programs should take into consideration that college-aged men and women frequently experience and use violence in dating relationships. Depression interventions should be included for female students. Substance abuse and partner conflict are important risk factors for depression.