Intimate Partner Violence among Female Spouses of Men with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Worldwide, intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health threat to women's mental health. Female spouses of men with alcohol dependence often face various forms of abuse. IPV is widely prevalent among women who are married to men with alcohol dependence. However, the prevalence of IPV among female spouses of men seeking treatment for their alcohol dependence is unclear. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 110 female spouses of men with alcohol dependence syndrome were selected using purposive sampling from the Centre for Addiction Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India. A Composite Abuse Scale-Short Form was used to assess the prevalence and pattern of IPV. The interview method was used to collect the data. Independent sample ‛t՚ test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of participants is 33 years (±6.34). Most (85.5%) participants experienced different forms of IPV. Prevalence for physical violence was 82.7%, followed by psychological violence (76.4%). Nearly, one-third of the participants (30%) reported sexual violence, and similarly, close to one-third (30%) experienced all forms of IPV. Men who were involved in gambling had significantly higher IPV toward their wives than nongamblers. The employment status among female spouses and urban domicile strongly predicted IPV. Conclusion: The prevalence of IPV among female spouses of men with alcohol dependence is 85.5%. Evidence-based psychiatric social work interventions need to be provided to address IPV among wives of persons with alcohol dependence in routine clinical practice at de-addiction centers. Keywords: Family violence, partner abuse, social work, substance use disorders