A Two-Year Examination of Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Mental and Physical Health among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Women Veterans

ABSTRACT

Lesbian and bisexual women veterans may experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience compared to heterosexual women veterans, but more research is needed on IPV and healthcare needs among sexual minority women veterans, particularly those in the community who may not use Veterans Health Administration healthcare. This study assessed recent (prior 6–12 months) IPV, mental health symptoms (e.g., PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia), and physical health problems (e.g., physical pain, pain interference, general physical health) among 263 women veterans (11% lesbian, bisexual, or questioning [LBQ]) 18 months after baseline (Time 2), and 24 months after baseline (Time 3; N = 190). At both Time 2 and Time 3, compared to heterosexual women veterans, LBQ women veterans reported experiencing greater recent psychological and physical IPV and intimate partner stalking, and worse PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia symptoms, and general physical health problems. At Time 3 only, LBQ women veterans reported experiencing greater recent sexual IPV. As the population of women and sexual/gender minority veterans grows, the current findings can help increase clinician and policy maker knowledge of IPV experiences and concurrent health problems among LBQ women veterans. Future research should conduct intragroup comparisons between veterans across the gender and sexuality spectrum.

KEYWORDS:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV)
• veterans
• women veterans
• sexual minority veterans
• intimate partner stalking
• minority stress
• trauma
• posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Standards and Informed Consent

All procedures were approved by the VA Boston Healthcare System Institutional Review Board. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was included in the study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Services [CDA 10-029, USA 14-275].