Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Military and Veteran Populations: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Surveys and Population Screening Studies

Sean Cowlishaw, Isabella Freijah, Dzenana Kartal, Alyssa Sbisa, Ashlee Mulligan, MaryAnn Notarianni, Anne-Laure Couineau, David Forbes, Meaghan O’Donnell, Andrea Phelps, Katherine M. Iverson, Alexandra Heber, Carol O’Dwyer, Patrick Smith and Fardous Hosseiny
Additional contact information
Sean Cowlishaw: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Isabella Freijah: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Dzenana Kartal: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Alyssa Sbisa: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Ashlee Mulligan: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
MaryAnn Notarianni: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
Anne-Laure Couineau: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
David Forbes: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Meaghan O’Donnell: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Andrea Phelps: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Katherine M. Iverson: Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Street, Boston, MA 02130, USA
Alexandra Heber: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada
Carol O’Dwyer: Phoenix Australia—Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia
Patrick Smith: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
Fardous Hosseiny: Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-23

Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) may be a major concern in military and veteran populations, and the aims of this systematic review were to (1) provide best available estimates of overall prevalence based on studies that are most representative of relevant populations, and (2) contextualise these via examination of IPV types, impacts, and context. An electronic search of PsycINFO, CINHAL, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases identified studies utilising population-based designs or population screening strategies to estimate prevalence of IPV perpetration or victimisation reported by active duty (AD) military personnel or veterans. Random effects meta-analyses were used for quantitative analyses and were supplemented by narrative syntheses of heterogeneous data. Thirty-one studies involving 172,790 participants were included in meta-analyses. These indicated around 13% of all AD personnel and veterans reported any recent IPV perpetration, and around 21% reported any recent victimisation. There were higher rates of IPV perpetration in studies of veterans and health service settings, but no discernible differences were found according to gender, era of service, or country of origin. Psychological IPV was the most common form identified, while there were few studies of IPV impacts, or coercive and controlling behaviours. The findings demonstrate that IPV perpetration and victimisation occur commonly among AD personnel and veterans and highlight a strong need for responses across military and veteran-specific settings. However, there are gaps in understanding of impacts and context for IPV, including coercive and controlling behaviours, which are priority considerations for future research and policy.

Keywords: intimate partner violence; veteran; military; prevalence; coercive control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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