Evidence-Based Interventions for Mental Health Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence is one of the most prevalent forms of violence against women worldwide and is associated with a wide variety of mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and psychosis. This chapter reviews the evidence for an association between intimate partner violence and mental disorders and then summarizes the results of a rapid review of evidence on interventions for the mental health consequences of intimate partner violence. Available research suggests a bidirectional association between intimate partner violence and mental health problems. Although a variety of interventions addressing the mental health consequences of intimate partner violence has been described, the literature largely focuses on women with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Studies of the mental health effects of intimate partner violence on women with severe mental illness, and studies conducted in mental health settings, remain limited. This chapter concludes with a summary of the strengths, limitations, and gaps in the evidence base, which require urgent research attention.