Intimate partner violence and symptoms of psychological distress and depression in adolescents and young adults in Haiti

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in low and middle-income countries, such as Haiti. However, there is little research on its association with mental health problems such as psychological distress and depression. Although there is evidence that men may experience IPV, few studies have investigated mental health difficulties among Haitian men and women. The present study aims to 1) assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and psychological distress in this population and 2) examine the association between IPV, psychological distress, and depression while considering potential risk and protective factors. Method: A representative sample of 3,586 adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 living in Haiti was recruited. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the association between IPV, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress. Results: Almost half of the sample reported depressive symptoms and psychological distress, with high rates among both genders. IPV was found to be an independent predictor of both depressive symptoms and psychological distress after accounting for risk and protective factors. Limitation: This study is the first step in understanding the interplay between IPV victimization, risk and protective factors, and psychological difficulties in this population. However, because of the cross-sectional design, causality should not be inferred. Furthermore, this study did not measure community violence, which could have affected participants' mental health. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of considering the occurrence of IPV victimization when evaluating depression and psychological distress among adolescents and young adults.