Breaking the Silence: Understanding the Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence on Refugee Men, with Depression as a Key Outcome

ABSTRACTThe primary objective of the present study was to investigate the association between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and symptoms of depression among a sample of married refugee men. The study recruited a convenient sample of 539 married Syrian refugee men residing in refugee camps and other locations in Jordan between 2021-2022. A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed. IPV and symptoms of depression among the participants were assessed by the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and the Patient Health Questionnaire, respectively. The findings of the study revealed a moderate prevalence of depression among the refugee men, with the most experienced types of IPV being the absence of negotiation with partners, psychological violence, physical violence, and injury. Significant positive correlations were observed between all types of IPV and symptoms of depression. It was determined that approximately 80% of the variation in symptoms of depression could be explained by the combination of the four types of IPV. Psychological violence was the strongest predictor for symptoms of depression followed by the absence of negotiation between partners and the occurrence of injury. Offering recommendations for interventions would aid in the development of effective strategies and support systems aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of IPV on the mental well-being of married refugee men.KEYWORDS: MenrefugeeIPVdepression Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingNo funding was received to conduct this study.