Couple Reports on Intimate Partner Violence and their Health Impact: Evidence From a Population-Based Survey in Japan.

Recent studies have shown that couples' reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) are not necessarily consistent. This study investigated the associations between patterns of partner victimization and perpetration reports and health and perceived wellbeing. Using household survey data from a probabilistic urban sample of adults aged 25 to 50 years and their partners, we identified 1,467 heterosexual pairs who completed the modified Japanese version of the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 Short Form. We classified responses into four categories: congruent report of no IPV, incongruent respondent victimization report, incongruent partner perpetration report, and congruent report of IPV. We used analysis of covariance to compare physical and mental health (measured by the SF-8 Health Survey Questionnaire) and life satisfaction among the four groups. The results showed that 22.4% of respondents were involved in IPV, and approximately 75% of them had incongruent reports. Compared with congruent reports of no IPV, respondents with an incongruent victimization report and an incongruent partner perpetration report scored significantly lower on physical health (-0.96, p = .03 and -1.16, p = .04, respectively). Those with an incongruent victimization report and congruent report of IPV had lower mental health scores (-2.32, p = .00 and -2.21, p = .00, respectively) and lower life satisfaction (-0.32, p = .00 and -0.21, p = .01, respectively). The results indicated that the respondent's victimization report was associated with worse mental health regardless of their partner's perpetration report, and physical health was worse only in cases with incongruent reports. Cases with a partner perpetration report but no respondent victimization report showed worse physical health but no negative effects on mental health and perceived wellbeing. These results indicate that research and practice regarding IPV should consider both partners' experiences of violence when assessing the impact of health and wellbeing on victims.