Interpersonal violence against wives by substance dependent men.

Abstract

Indian research on intimate partner violence (IPV) with substance use covers only alcohol, and very few studies have reported on IPV with other substances. The study aims to assess IPV against wives by substance dependent men. The study sample was recruited by convenient sampling from men (and their wives) seeking treatment at a de-addiction centre in North India between October, 2011 and February, 2012. The consenting wives self-administered the violence questionnaire. 267 wives were recruited into the study. The prevalence rates for IPV were: 55% for the whole sample, 63.19% for alcohol dependence and 42.33% for opioid dependence. IPV was associated with higher age of husband, lower education or unemployment of either spouse, lower income of family and nuclear family structure. Present research confirms that IPV against wives is highly prevalent among substance dependent men, more with alcohol dependence as compared to opioid dependence. Addressing IPV should be an integral part of substance abuse management.