Assessing interpersonal violence involvement in psychiatric patients: exploratory findings on the Interpersonal...

Despite the high rates of both violence victimization and perpetration in people experiencing mental illness, standardized screening tools in research and for routine psychiatric assessment are lacking, underscoring the need for feasible, standardized assessment approaches.

A sample of adult psychiatric in- and out-patients at six German hospitals was surveyed, using the Interpersonal Violence Questionnaire (IVIQ), a 26-item self-report checklist assessing experiences of physical violence, sexual violence, and threats, both as victimization and perpetration, across the past 12 months and lifetime. Exploratory analyses included prevalence estimates, scoring characteristics, floor effects, inter-item associations, temporal stability, and associations with social desirability.

In 479 patients, lifetime sexual victimization and 12-month violence threat, as well as being pushed, were most frequent. IVIQ sum scores showed strong floor effects. Reports of victimization and perpetration frequently co-occurred; descriptive inter-item correlations were low to moderate. Temporal consistency varied across items, with lower stability for low-prevalence behaviors. Higher social desirability predicted lower 12-month perpetration reporting.

The IVIQ may provide a feasible, structured self-report approach for routine assessment of interpersonal violence involvement in psychiatric populations. Different scoring approaches may support descriptive assessment of cumulative burden and distinct forms of interpersonal violence involvement. Future versions should broaden the assessment of psychological violence. Associations between social desirability and reporting underline the importance of sensitive implementation, trauma-informed assessment practices, and cautious interpretation of self-reported violence experiences.

This study is registered in the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) under registration number DRKS00032041 (Date of registration: 20th of July 2023).