Intimate partner violence and mental health in women from Metropolitan Lima and Callao according to union status: an analytical cross-sectional study with complex sampling

Goñi M.E.S.; Llanos F.D.R.R.; Saavedra J.E. · Revista de Neuro-Psiquiatria (2026) · DOI: 10.20453/rnp.v89i3.7213

Resumen

Objective: To determine the association between types of intimate partner violence and clinical/sociodemographic profiles in women from Metropolitan Lima and Callao according to their union status or partner status (currently in a union vs. formerly in a union). Materials and methods: Analytical cross-sectional study, a secondary analysis of the Epidemiological Study of Mental Health (EESM-LR-2012), using three-stage cluster sampling with sample weighting. The subsample consisted of women currently or formerly in a union (n = 4,190; weighted population ≈ 1.92 million). Physical, sexual, psychological, abandonment-related, and systematic violence—defined as ≥1–2 episodes/month—were assessed, along with mental disorders (anxiety and depression), quality of life, self-esteem, and resilience. Rao-Scott tests (χ2) and generalized linear models (GLM) adjusted for complex designs were applied, as well as binomial logistic regression (with the “currently in a union” category as reference) adjusted for sociodemographic factors and the complex sampling design. Results: Women formerly in a union showed a higher annual prevalence of any type of violence compared with women currently in a union (22.4% vs. 14.1%, respectively; aOR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.92–2.92; p < 0.001), as well as a higher likelihood of experiencing sexual (aOR ≈ 3.89), physical (aOR ≈ 3.68), verbal (aOR ≈ 2.28), psychological (aOR ≈ 3.46), and abandonment-related violence (aOR ≈ 3.99). In cases of systematic violence, associations were stronger (p < 0.001). Women currently in a union showed a higher current prevalence of anxiety compared with women formerly in a union (7.9% vs. 3.8%, respectively; aOR ≈ 0.35), whereas the latter group showed a higher lifetime, annual, and current prevalence of depressive episodes (aOR ≈ 1.7–1.9). Quality of life was slightly better among women formerly in a union (mean difference ≈ 0.20; p = 0.032). Conclusions: Union status is differentially associated with patterns of violence and mental health outcomes. Differentiated clinical screening is recommended (depression in women formerly in a union; anxiety in women currently in a union), along with strengthened post-separation protection in public policy. Artículo de acceso abierto, distribuido bajo los términos de la Licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional. © Los autores

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia