Occurrence and impact of negative behaviour, including domestic violence and abuse, in men attending UK primary care health clinics: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

ObjectiveTo measure the experience and perpetration of negative behaviour, including domestic violence and abuse (DVA), and investigate its associations with health conditions and behaviours in men attending general practice.DesignCross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted between September 2010 and June 2011.Setting16 general practices in the south west of England.ParticipantsMale patients aged 18 or older, attending alone, who could read and write English. A total of 1403 of eligible patients (58%) participated in the survey and 1368 (56%) completed the questions relevant to this paper. 97% of respondents reported they were heterosexual.Main outcome measuresLifetime occurrence of negative behaviour consistent with DVA, perceived health impact of negative behaviours, associations with anxiety and depression symptoms, and cannabis use in the past 12 months and binge drinking.Results22.7% (95% CI 20.2% to 24.9%) of men reported ever experiencing negative behaviour (feeling frightened, physically hurt, forced sex, ask permission) from a partner. All negative behaviours were associated with a twofold to threefold increased odds of anxiety and depression symptoms in men experiencing or perpetrating negative behaviours or both. 34.9% (95% CI 28.7% to 41.7%) of men who reported experiencing negative behaviour from a partner, and 30.8% (95% CI 23.7% to 37.8%) of men who perpetrated negative behaviours said they had been in a domestically violent or abusive relationship. No associations with problematic drinking were found; there was a weak association with cannabis use.ConclusionsDVA is experienced or perpetrated by a large minority of men presenting to general practice, and these men were more likely to have current symptoms of depression and anxiety. Presentation of anxiety or depression to clinicians may be an indicator of male experience or perpetration of DVA victimisation.

The prevalence and factors associated with ever perpetrating intimate partner violence by men receiving substance use treatment in Brazil and England: A cross‐cultural comparison

“…Depression is associated with IPV perpetration . However, in our study higher depression symptomatology was associated with any IPV perpetration only for participants in Brazil.…”

“…The prevalence of IPV perpetration is high among men receiving treatment for substance use, far higher than among general population or general practice samples from the same countries . Our findings are comparable to lifetime rates of psychological (77%) and physical IPV (49%–54%) perpetration reported in other studies of men receiving substance use treatment .…”

“…The prevalence of IPV perpetration is high among men receiving substance use treatment, far higher than among general population or general practice samples from the same countries [15,31,32,90]. Findings highlight the multiple and complex risk factors for IPV perpetration across both cultures.…”

Domestic violence and mental health in older adults

“…There is evidence of the health impact of domestic violence on working age adults, with high rates of physical and mental health problems in both female and male victims (Ferari et al, 2015, Hester et al, 2015, Howard et al, 2010 and male perpetrators (Hester et al, 2015). However the impact of domestic violence on older adults has been less of a focus, and the research into this area is patchy and largely unsynthesized.The relevance of age may seem unclear, and in the UK, where the focus in some areas is on integration and ageless provisions, it could be argued that extrapolating the data for younger people would be sufficient.…”

Association between Emotional Abuses and Mental Disorder in Women: A Web-based Internet Survey in Southern China

“…The most frequently reported consequence is feeling anxious or depressed. It has been reported that harmful behaviors are associated with a twofold to threefold increased odd of anxiety and depression symptoms in men experiencing or perpetrating harmful behaviors from their partners [30,31]. Women, who are exposed to physical or psychological spousal violence, are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and psychotic disorders [32].…”