Witnessing interparental violence in childhood and symptoms of depression in adulthood: data from the 2017 French Health Barometer. (30th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roland, Noemie; Leon, Christophe; du Roscoat, Enguerrand; Panjo, Henri; Saurel-Cubizolles, Marie-Josephe; Ringa, Virginie
• Is Part Of: Family practice. Volume 38:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 306
• Page End: 312
• Publication Date: 2020-11-30
• Subjects: Depressive disorder -- intimate partner violence -- mental health -- suicidal ideation -- suicide attempted -- violence exposure; Primary care (Medicine) -- Periodicals; Clinical medicine -- Periodicals; 616.005
• DOI: 10.1093/fampra/cmaa127
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-2136

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Every year, it is estimated that 143 000 French children are exposed to interparental violence (IPV). This exposure may have deleterious lifelong impact on mental health. Objective: To investigate the associations between exposure to IPV in childhood and, as adults, the presence of depressive symptoms during the past year, suicidal thoughts and lifetime suicide attempt. Methods: Our study is based on data from the 2017 French Health Barometer, a general population cross-sectional phone survey. 25 319 adults living in Metropolitan France responded. Data were weighted to obtain a representative sample of the French population. Associations between childhood exposure to IPV and each of three outcomes in adulthood—symptoms of depression, suicidal ideation in the past year and lifetime suicide attempt—were studied by calculating odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), stratifying by sex and using multivariate models (logistic regression). Results: After adjustment for age, social variables, negative life events in childhood and lifetime history of sexual violence, reporting witnessed IPV is significantly associated with the presence of symptoms of depression during the past 12 months (aORmen = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.49–2.38, and aORwomen = 2.00, 1.72–2.32), suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months (aORmen = 1.97, 1.48–2.64, and aORwomen = 2.35, 1.89–2.93), and at least one lifetime suicide attempt (aORmen =2.39, 1.83–3.11 and aORwomen = 2.66, 2.25–3.16). Conclusion: Associations shown between a history of exposure to IPV and three mental health indicators in adulthood underline the need to study the lifelong impact of IPV. Abstract : Each year, between 133 and 275 million of children worldwide witnessed interparental violence (IPV). It is known that IPV exposure has a deleterious impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. No studies on the long-term impact of IPV exposure on adult mental health have been conducted to date in a general population in France. We assumed that French adults, in both gender, who witnessed violence between their parents as children report poorer mental health than adults who were not exposed to IPV: more symptoms of depression and suicidal behaviour in the past year and more lifetime suicide attempts. 25 319 French people aged 18–75 years were questioned by the 2017 Health Barometer, a phone survey, between 5 January and 18 July 2017. The frequency of exposure to IPV in childhood was 21%. We found that there is an association between exposure to IPV in childhood and the presence of depressive symptoms during the past 12 months, suicidal thoughts during the past 12 months and at least one lifetime suicide attempt, regardless of gender, social category, negative events in the childhood and lifetime history of sexual violence.