Psychological intimate partner violence – the insidious form of violence and its severe health consequences: a cross-sectional study among Swedish women

Abstract

Aims:

Psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) is more prevalent than physical IPV and often has more severe consequences for both physical and mental health. This study aimed to examine the specific impact of psychological IPV on perceived general health and depression among pregnant and non-pregnant women in Stockholm, Sweden.

Methods:

Data were collected from 5714 women (2342 non-pregnant and 3372 pregnant) through a survey distributed at women’s health clinics. The questionnaire included items on sociodemographic characteristics, self-rated health, and exposure to IPV. For non-pregnant women, IPV exposure referred to the previous year; for pregnant women, it referred to the year before pregnancy.

Results:

A total of 167 (2.9%) women reported exposure to psychological IPV only. Among them, 60 experienced frequent and 91 occasional psychological IPV. Logistic regression analyses showed that psychological IPV was significantly associated with poor general health and severe depression. While no consistent dose–response pattern was observed across all health outcomes, frequent psychological IPV was linked to a higher risk of sick leave among non-pregnant women, suggesting more severe health consequences compared with occasional exposure.

Conclusions:

Women exposed solely to psychological IPV face health risks comparable to those exposed to combined forms of IPV. Psychological violence should be recognised as a serious public health issue, contributing not only to depression and poor general health but also to impaired work capacity and economic vulnerability.