Examining the Interrelationship Between IPV Victimization, Depression, and Substance Abuse

• In Event: The Relationship Between Substance Use and Victimization

Abstract

According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey, approximately 41% of women and 26% of men have experienced behaviors such as physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking by an intimate peer over the life course. In fact, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) victimization is most prominent among adolescents and young adults, with approximately 1 in 3 teens in the U.S. being a victim of dating violence and facing negative outcomes such as mental health issues and substance abuse disorder(s). Accordingly, this study utilizes data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine the mediating role of depressive symptomatology on the relationship between IPV victimization and substance abuse among adolescents, taking into consideration community-level socioeconomic status (SES) through a multilevel mediation assessment, from a General Strain Theory (GST) perspective. Consequently, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) Is IPV victimization associated with maladaptive coping, such as substance abuse? (2) Does depression mediate the relationship between IPV victimization and substance abuse? (3) Does community context shape the relationship between IPV victimization and substance abuse?

Authors

• Joshua Rosenbaum, University of Mississippi

• Kimberly Kaiser, University of Mississippi