Veteran Status Linked to Higher Couple IPV Rates

TOPLINE

Among 3312 military couples (1581 veteran couples and 1731 currently serving couples), nearly half reported intimate partner violence (IPV), with veteran couples showing rates of 55% compared with 42% among currently serving couples. Financial strain and reduced social support among veterans partially explained the elevated rates, suggesting these factors are key intervention targets during military-to-civilian transition.

METHODOLOGY

• Participants include 3312 US married opposite-sex couples (6624 individuals) linked from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) and Millennium Cohort Family Study Wave 3 surveys.
• Outcome measurement uses spouses' modified Relationship Violence Use and Experience Screener over the past 6 months; any non-"never" IPV use or experience defines couples' IPV (yes/no).
• Mediator measurement includes financial strain (1-5 scale averaged within couples), perceived social support (6-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, scored 1-7), housing instability (any endorsed item), and employment status (full-time vs part-time vs unemployed).
• Analysis uses weighted logistic regression and a parallel multiple mediation model, applying full information maximum likelihood for missing data.

TAKEAWAY

• Veteran status is associated with higher odds of couples' IPV in bivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% CI, 1.38-2.11).
• In adjusted mediation modeling, veteran status remains associated with IPV after accounting for transition stressors (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.39; 95% CI, 1.08-1.81).
• Financial strain shows an indirect pathway from veteran status to IPV (β, 0.07; SE, 0.02; P = .003), with higher strain linked to higher odds of violence (AOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.17-1.59; P < .001).
• Service member social support also shows an indirect pathway (β, 0.10; SE, 0.03; P = .002), and higher support is associated with lower odds of IPV (AOR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98).

IN PRACTICE

"Greater levels of financial strain were associated with a 53% increase in the odds of IPV. Greater social support was associated with a decrease in the odds of IPV by 19% for MCS participants and 21% for their spouses, respectively," wrote the authors of the study.

SOURCE

The study was led by Elizabeth C. Coppola, PhD, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven. It was published online in Psychology of Violence.

LIMITATIONS

The study used cross-sectional data from a single wave, limiting the ability to establish temporality between transition-related stressors and IPV or to study change processes related to the military-to-civilian transition. All participants were married to opposite-sex partners, which may limit generalizability to same-sex relationships or nonmarital relationships. Small cell sizes among couples who experienced housing instability may have hampered the ability to detect significant effects for this variable. The use of self-report data from spouses to assess IPV raises the potential for response bias due to social desirability, although researchers obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality and used recommended best practices to mitigate this limitation. The decision to dichotomize IPV was consistent with clinical screening guidelines but prevented examination of other dimensions such as frequency or severity.

DISCLOSURES

This research received joint support from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration and the Defense Health Agency. The Millennium Cohort Family Study was conducted at the Naval Health Research Center under work unit number N1240. Elizabeth C. Coppola, PhD, received support from a VA Health Services Research Career Development Award (CDA 19-234), the IPV Center for Implementation, Research, and Evaluation funded by the VA Care Management and Social Work Service's IPV Assistance Program, the Advanced Fellowship in Medical Informatics through the VA Office of Academic Affiliations, and a VA QUERI Implementation Science Leadership Initiative Award (PEC-23-182 [Supplement]). Valerie A. Stander is employed by the US Government, and this work was prepared as part of her official duties. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.