Mental Health Consequences and Risk Factors of Physical Intimate Partner Violence

Violence against women is a public health concern and physical intimate partner violence is the most common form of it. Physical violence is often accompanied by psychological abuse and has detrimental effects on female victims’ mental health. While the adverse mental consequences experienced by women due to violence and abuse by their partners have been well established, it is not clear how much of these consequences are the result of physical violence only. Indeed, the mental health impact that physical intimate partner violence has on women is still lacking. This paper reviews and consolidates findings from the existing literature on mental health consequences of male partner violence that are attributed to physical victimization only. Also discussed are variables that increase the risk of mental ill health among female victims of physical intimate partner violence. Recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and future research have been explored.