U.S. Changes in Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine rates of change in intimate partner violence (IPV) across the first year of the pandemic in the U.S. and the relationship between IPV and depression symptomology and perceived stress. Using a novel dataset of four waves of data collected over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., a series of generalized linear mixed models were performed to determine overall changes in IPV (i.e., psychological and physical) over time and the relationship between IPV and depression, measured by the PHQ-2, and stress, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale. Results indicate that psychological IPV increased slightly over the first year of the pandemic, while depression symptoms and perceived stress decreased over time though depression and stress remained stubbornly high. Findings suggest that people may attenuate to an ongoing and lengthy disaster, but that depression and stress remain alarmingly high.

Keywords:

• : Disasters
• intimate partner violence
• longitudinal data
• mental health
• covid-19

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Clare E. B. Cannon

Dr. Clare E. B. Cannon is associate professor in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of California, Davis and a research fellow in the Department of Social Work at the University of the Free State, South Africa. Cannon researches intersections of social inequality, health disparities, intimate partner violence, climate risks, and environmental injustices in urban, rural, and disaster contexts.

Jennifer First

Dr. Jennifer M. First is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri and an external associate at the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. First is an interdisciplinary social scientist, studying how people prepare and cope with climate change and severe weather events (e.g., tornadoes, floods, extreme heat), with an emphasis on examining and addressing social inequities.

Yerina Ranjit

Dr. Yerina S. Ranjit is an assistant professor at the department of communication at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Dr. Ranjit received her Ph.D. in Communication from University of Connecticut (2016) and completed her Post-Doctoral Training at Yale University School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, AIDS Program (2019). Dr. Ranjit’s research program lies at the intersection of communication, digital technology and mHealth, HIV, and substance use.

J. Brian Houston

Dr. J. Brian Houston is Professor and Chair in the Public Health Department at the University of Missouri and is Director for the Disaster and Community Crisis Center (DCC) at the University of Missouri. Houston’s research focuses on communication at all phases of disasters and on the mental health effects and political consequences of community crises.