Intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration by Puerto Rican women with severe mental illnesses

Previous research indicates a higher prevalence of victimization among severely mentally ill women. Few studies have either compared these levels across diagnostic categories or evaluated perpetration by the women. We report qualitative and quantitative findings regarding intimate partner violence perpetrated both against and by a sample of 53 Puerto Rican women diagnosed with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Interviewers shadowed participants for a period of 2 years. Two-thirds of the women with serious mental illness had histories of victimization. However, 23% of the women also reported histories of violence towards their significant others. This was attributed to various reasons, such as anger, revenge, control, and self-defense. Participants described their personal conceptualization of the violence they received and perpetrated. This has implications for programs designed to prevent family violence, for health care professionals in general, and for psychiatrists, who may be called upon to address future risk of victimization or commission of violence.