BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Dec 1. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07654-x. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although the associations between intimate partner violence and women’s adverse mental health are widely recognized, inconsistencies persist concerning specific risk factors, forms of IPV, and related mental disorders. Women often hesitate to disclose their experience without proactive and sensitive questioning from healthcare professionals. The aim of this review is to summarize existing evidence on the effects of IPV experience on mental disorders and associated factors among women through a synthesis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of quantitative studies.
METHODS: The review adhered to a standardized protocol based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRIOSMA) guidelines. We searched databases, including Medline/PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and HINARY, from inception to April 15, 2025. Only English-language articles were included. The updated A MeaSurement Tool to Assess the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2) was employed. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of the studies.
RESULTS: Seventeen reviews were included from the initial identification of 1,167 articles. The qualitative synthesis revealed a significant association between intimate partner violence and common mental disorders, including depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and perinatal disorders. The methodological quality of the included reviews ranged from low to critically low.
CONCLUSION: Qualitative synthesis revealed a significant association between IPV and adverse mental health outcomes in women. However, given that the methodological quality of the included reviews ranged from low to critically low, these findings must be interpreted with caution.
PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The protocol was registered on PROSPERO under registration number CRD42025643126.
CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
PMID:41327156 | DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-07654-x
