New PhD project on patterns and pathways of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse among UK military serving and ex-serving personnel

KCMHR continues research on Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse among serving and ex-serving personnel with new PhD project, with funding from the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership and in partnership with Combat Stress.  

Context of the study 

Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) includes a wide range of behaviours that cause physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in an intimate relationship. Previous KCMHR research estimated that 13% of UK serving and ex-serving personnel report recent experience (victimisation) of IPVA, while 9% report recent IPVA use (perpetration).  

Research from the UK and other countries has shown that significantly more military personnel report IPVA use (perpetration) and experience (victimisation) compared to civilians. This may be due to the impact of military service and transition to civilian life on personnel and their relationships, influences of military organisational culture and occupational stressors (e.g. deployment-related separation). Additionally, mental health and lifestyle factors including PTSD, common mental disorders and alcohol misuse, are consistently linked to increased risk of IPVA use and experience, and are found to be more prevalent among military compared to civilian populations.   

There has been significant progress in efforts to identify and mitigate the impacts of IPVA among serving and ex-serving personnel. For example, in 2018 the UK Ministry of Defence launched its first strategy to tackle domestic abuse within the Armed Forces and defence civilian communities. However, there are significant gaps in understanding different patterns of IPVA and how they emerge and develop over time.  

What do we already know?  

Although military research has studied IPVA experience and use, it has often looked at these issues separately. Recent military studies have indicated that significant proportion of IPVA is bidirectional, i.e. with both partners in a relationship using and experiencing IPVA. This mirrors findings from the general population, in which bidirectional IPVA often emerges as the most predominant pattern of violence. Psychological forms of IPVA are often more prevalent than physical or sexual violence among military populations. IPVA also often involves varying levels of coercive control, although the understanding of this in military populations is limited.   

What does this research focus on?  

This PhD research aims to understand what patterns of IPVA serving and ex-serving personnel are reporting and what socio-demographic, early life, military and mental health factors are associated with those patterns. The research also aims to examine how IPVA patterns evolve over time and possible gender differences in IPVA patterns and pathways.  

To address these aims, the research is combining quantitative analysis of data from the KCMHR Health and Wellbeing cohort study and qualitative interviews with ex-serving personnel. The quantitative study will utilise Latent Class Analysis - a statistical technique that identifies population sub-groups based on patterns in their data - and regression analysis to understand what factors are associated with identified IPVA patterns. The qualitative study will collect narratives of veterans’ experiences with IPVA across the life course, to provide a better understand of how IPVA can evolve over time within and across relationships.  

Why is it important?  

IPVA can have significant physical and mental health consequences for those affected. Research for example finds higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation as well as physical health problems among those with IPVA experiences. These impacts are often more severe among those experiencing bidirectional violence, sexual violence, multiple IPVA types or IPVA characterised by high levels of coercive control.   

The nature of IPVA can vary widely depending on the type of behaviour (physical, psychological or sexual), whether both partners engage in IPVA, and the extent to which those behaviours result in physical or psychological harm. A person can also experience different patterns of IPVA over time, as relationships change or people encounter different issues across their relationships. These issues influence what interventions are best suited to identify and mitigate the impact of IPVA. 

Adopting ‘one-size-fits-all’ interventions is unlikely to be appropriate or effective in addressing IPVA among military populations. For example, specialist conjoint treatments and couple therapies may be effective for couples experiencing bidirectional IPVA, but not in cases characterised by unidirectional IPVA or high levels of coercive control. An understanding of different IPVA patterns and their pathways is therefore important for developing adequate support for those affected by IPVA. 

Who is conducting this research?  

This research is being carried out by Linda Slapakova and supervised by Dr. Deirdre MacManus, Dr. Rachael Gribble and Prof. Dominic Murphy. It is being conducted in partnership with Combat Stress, a charity focused on providing mental health support to UK ex-serving personnel.  

Want to know more?  

To find out more about this research you can get in touch with Linda Slapakova at [email protected].