Intimate partner violence and symptoms of anxiety and depression among women in three African countries: a population-based analysis
1
School of Public Health, College of Health, Adelaide University, Adelaide, Australia
2
Robinson Research Institute, College of Health, Adelaide University, Adelaide, Australia
3
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Samara University, Samara, Ethiopia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue affecting approximately one in three women worldwide. Evidence consistently shows that IPV is a key social determinant of women’s mental health, contributing substantially to depression and anxiety. However, population-level evidence linking IPV to clinically relevant mental health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, using harmonised and comparable national data, remains limited.
METHODS:
We analysed nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey data from Zambia (2024), Mozambique (2022–23), and Lesotho (2023–24). The study population comprised ever-partnered women selected for the domestic violence module who also completed the mental health assessment module. IPV exposure was categorised as physical, sexual, emotional, or any IPV, following World Health Organization definitions. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using DHS mental health screening items informed by the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme framework. Modified Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios, accounting for complex survey design and adjusting for key sociodemographic, household, and behavioural factors. Country-specific estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS:
Across the three countries, approximately one quarter of women reported exposure to any IPV, with emotional violence being the most prevalent form. IPV exposure was consistently associated with a markedly higher prevalence of poor mental health outcomes. In pooled analyses, women exposed to any IPV had more than twice the prevalence of depression and substantially higher prevalence of anxiety compared with unexposed women. Emotional and sexual IPV showed the strongest associations, with emotional IPV associated with an approximately threefold higher prevalence of depression.
CONCLUSIONS:
Intimate partner violence, particularly emotional and sexual violence, is strongly associated with depression and anxiety among women in African countries. These findings underscore IPV as a critical yet preventable determinant of women’s mental health and support integrating IPV enquiry within care.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health and human rights issue affecting approximately one in three women worldwide. Evidence consistently shows that IPV is a key social determinant of women’s mental health, contributing substantially to depression and anxiety. However, population-level evidence linking IPV to clinically relevant mental health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, using harmonised and comparable national data, remains limited.
METHODS:
We analysed nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey data from Zambia (2024), Mozambique (2022–23), and Lesotho (2023–24). The study population comprised ever-partnered women selected for the domestic violence module who also completed the mental health assessment module. IPV exposure was categorised as physical, sexual, emotional, or any IPV, following World Health Organization definitions. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using DHS mental health screening items informed by the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme framework. Modified Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios, accounting for complex survey design and adjusting for key sociodemographic, household, and behavioural factors. Country-specific estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS:
Across the three countries, approximately one quarter of women reported exposure to any IPV, with emotional violence being the most prevalent form. IPV exposure was consistently associated with a markedly higher prevalence of poor mental health outcomes. In pooled analyses, women exposed to any IPV had more than twice the prevalence of depression and substantially higher prevalence of anxiety compared with unexposed women. Emotional and sexual IPV showed the strongest associations, with emotional IPV associated with an approximately threefold higher prevalence of depression.
CONCLUSIONS:
Intimate partner violence, particularly emotional and sexual violence, is strongly associated with depression and anxiety among women in African countries. These findings underscore IPV as a critical yet preventable determinant of women’s mental health and support integrating IPV enquiry within care.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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