• Carolyn J Gibson, Amber Bahorik, Feng Xia, Carrie Peltz, and Kristine Yaffe.
• San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA. Carolyn.gibson2@va.gov.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2024 May 1; 39 (6): 931939931-939.

BackgroundA growing body of evidence suggests adverse health outcomes related to intimate partner violence (IPV), including traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, most research in this area has focused on reproductive-aged women.ObjectiveTo examine relationships between IPV (with and without TBI), mental health, and aging-related health outcomes among men and women Veterans across the lifespan.DesignCross-sectional analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data from fiscal years 2000-2019. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were used to compare key comorbidities in matched samples of Veterans with and without IPV (gender-stratified and matched 1:3 based on demographics and index date). Comparisons between those with IPV and TBI relative to IPV alone were also examined.SubjectsVeterans aged 18 + with and without documented IPV in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health records (n = 4108 men, 2824 women).Main MeasuresICD codes were used to identify IPV, TBI, and aging-related medical (sleep disorder, hypertension, diabetes, dementia) and common psychiatric (depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use disorder, and substance use disorder) diagnoses.Key ResultsDemographic characteristics were reflective of VA-enrolled Veterans (men: mean age 66, SD 16; 72% non-Hispanic White; women: mean age 47, SD 13; 64% non-Hispanic White). Relative to Veterans without IPV, both men and women with IPV had higher rates of all examined medical (e.g., sleep disorders, men: 33% vs. 52%; women: 45% vs. 63%) and psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., depression, men 32% vs. 74%; women 59% vs. 91%; all ps < .001), with evidence of an additive effect of TBI on some psychiatric outcomes.ConclusionsIPV is broadly associated with aging-related and mental health, and TBI is a common correlate that may further contribute to psychiatric outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of trauma-informed care and recognizing the potential role of these exposures on men and women Veterans' health across the lifespan.© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.

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