Differences in physical and mental health symptoms and mental health utilization associated with intimate-partner violence versus childhood abuse.

BACKGROUND There is ample evidence that both intimate-partner violence (IPV) and childhood abuse adversely affect the physical and mental health of adult women over the long term. OBJECTIVE The authors assessed the associations between abuse, symptoms, and mental health utilization. METHOD The authors performed a cross-sectional survey of 380 adult female, internal-medicine patients. RESULTS Although both IPV and childhood abuse were associated with depressive and physical symptoms, IPV was independently associated with physical symptoms, and childhood abuse was independently associated with depression. Women with a history of childhood abuse had higher odds, whereas women with IPV had lower odds, of receiving care from mental health providers. CONCLUSION IPV and childhood abuse may have different effects on women's symptoms and mental health utilization.