Determinants and health sequelae of intimate partner violence and abuse in young adult relationships: a mixed methods study

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Intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) is any behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological, or sexual harm to those in the relationship. IPVA is a violation of human rights with enormous economic, and social costs, and is increasingly recognised as a major public health problem. A survey from 2016 estimated that 3.8 million English and Welsh women and 1.7 million men 16-59 years old have experienced IPVA at some point in their lives. Six percent of female and three percent of male respondents reported an experience of IPVA in the past year alone. Research has shown that children of parents who are abusive toward each other, are more likely to experience IPVA in their own intimate adult relationships, and have long-term mental and physical health problems such as depression, substance abuse and obesity. But existing studies have been small and have not had a lot of information on important factors such as socio-economic status or abuse in childhood. In addition, most studies have been restricted to women (not men) and have focused on IPVA victimisation (not perpetration). Finally, most studies have collected information on measures mental and physical health using questionnaires as opposed to actually measuring them, which is a lot more accurate. Research has also shown that not all people exposed to IPVA, either parental or in their own relationships, have mental and/or physical health problems. But we still don't know whether things like gender, a history of abuse in childhood, or whether people experienced IPVA victimization, perpetration or both affects their chances of mental and physical health problems. This is important because this knowledge can help to identify groups of people who may benefit most from interventions to prevent future health problems.As part of our project we plan to investigate these questions using information that we have already collected as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study. ALSPAC recruited pregnant women in 1990-1992 and has been following them and their children for the last 25 years, collecting information on a wide range of measures of mental and physical health, as well economic and social factors. The offspring are now 25 years-old and have recently participated in an ALSPAC study clinical assessment which included detailed assessment of mental health and heart health. At the age of 22, some 3,500 ALSPAC offspring answered a questionnaire about the occurrence, frequency and impact of physical, sexual and emotional IPVA in their intimate relationships as well as about IPVA between their parents. We will use this information together with the detailed information collected on both parents and their offspring over 25 years to investigate the mental and physical health of young adults exposed to IPVA and to identify groups who are at particularly high risk of problems. As detailed as it may be, this type of data cannot fully capture the complex and inter-related effects of IPVA and what it means for mental and heart health. We will therefore also conduct interviews with approximately 30 young adults (aged 18-22) to explore their own IPVA experiences, and the factors that they feel have made their own health better or worse. The two types of analyses will complement each other and provide an unprecedented detailed investigation of the causes and health consequences of IPVA in young adults.