Injuries/Violence
Assessing the role of mental health symptoms in the relationship between sexual minority status and intimate partner violence in women Megan Souza* Megan Souza
Despite evidence that sexual minority women—lesbian, bisexual, queer or otherwise not heterosexual—experience higher rates of intimate partner violence than heterosexual women, research has only begun to explore the mechanisms for this violence. The Minority Stress Model as a theoretical framework can help to explain these higher rates, suggesting that sexual minority women experience stress caused by structural homophobia and sexism that makes them more vulnerable to perpetrating or experiencing intimate partner violence. To explore this theory further, we will utilize causal inference methods to simulate the impact of reducing mental health symptoms on the relationship between sexual minority status and intimate partner violence victimization. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data, we will conduct a mediation analysis with controlled direct effects. First, we will analyze a model measuring the impact of a 100% reduction in adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms on the relationship between sexual minority status and intimate partner violence in young adulthood. We will also analyze models using stochastic mediation analysis, exploring the impact of a 15% and 30% reduction in symptoms—simulating a more realistic opportunity for prevention. We hypothesize that a reduction in symptoms will be associated with a reduction in intimate partner violence victimization for sexual minority women and that a smaller reduction in symptoms will be associated with a smaller reduction in violence. This study will provide insight into the causal role that mental health symptomology may play in the pathway between marginalized identity and violent victimization. Results may provide evidence for enhancing mental health services for sexual minority women as means of reducing the risk of intimate partner violence.