The Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Outcomes Among Sexual Minority Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Sexual minority men (SMM) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at a substantially high rate and also bear high burdens of adverse mental health outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to consolidate existing evidence on the associations between experiencing IPV and adverse mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, etc.) among SMM. Following the Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline, we identified 22 published studies encompassing data from 18,454 individuals, all of which were cross-sectional in design and half of which were conducted in the U.S. We found that experiencing IPV was associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety with a pooled Adjusted Odds Ratios (AORs) of 1.71 (95% CI [1.43, 2.05]) and 1.89 (95% CI [1.46, 2.43]), respective. Studies also found that IPV was positively associated with suicide-related risk (AOR = 2.71, 95% CI [2.21, 3.32] and perceived loneliness. Studies varied in their IPV measures and recall periods and used diverse mental health measurement tools like PHQ-9/GAD-7, Perceived Stress Scale, and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed an urgent need to examine the effects of IPV on SMM’s mental well-being in low- and middle-income countries using standardized IPV measurement tools. Future research should employ a longitudinal design to track the long-term effects of IPV on the mental well-being of SMM and explore potential interventions for mitigating these impacts over time. These insights are crucial for enhancing IPV screening within healthcare settings and identifying key intervention targets aimed at improving the mental health of SMM.