Partner alcohol use, violence and women's mental health: population-based survey in India.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between partner alcohol use and violence as risk factors for poor mental health in women is unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To describe partner-related and other psychosocial risk factors for common mental disorders in women and examine interrelationships between these factors.


METHODS
Data are reported on 821 women aged 18-49 years from a larger population study in north Goa, India. Logistic regression models evaluated the risks for women's common mental disorders and tested for mediation effects in the relationship between partner alcohol use and these disorders.


RESULTS
Excessive partner alcohol use increased the risk for common mental disorders two- to threefold. Partner violence and alcohol-related problems each partially mediated the association between partner excessive alcohol use and these mental disorders. Women's own violence-related attitudes were also independently associated with them.


CONCLUSIONS
Partner alcohol use, partner violence and women's violence-related attitudes must be addressed to prevent and treat common mental disorders in women.
Nayak
Madhabika B
MB
Alcohol Research Group, 6475 Christie Avenue, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA. mnayak@arg.org
Patel
Vikram
V
Bond
Jason C
JC
Greenfield
Thomas K
TK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult