The Link Between Psychological Abuse Victimization and Physical Health in College Students

Abstract

Victims of intimate partner violence have a wide array of mental and physical health symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological abuse victimization and physical health symptoms among college students. Male and female college students completed a Web-based survey to assess victimization of different forms of psychological abuse, a variety of physical health symptoms, and current academic stressors. Results found that psychological abuse victimization in the form of dominance and intimidation provided incremental predictive power above and beyond that of academic stressors in determining physical health symptoms regarding the stomach and chest, muscles and skeleton, and nervous system. Future investigation of the role of intimate partner psychological victimization on physical health issues in college students is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• health symptoms
• intimate partner violence
• psychological abuse
• stress

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Christine L. Hackman is now at California Polytechnic State University in the Kinesiology Department. Ameet Boleigh now works for the Aiken County Public School District in South Carolina.