Relative Effects of Intimate Partner Violence Subtypes on Opioid Misuse

Opium derived drugs (i.e., opioids) are effective in relieving short-term pain but are inherently addictive, causing them to have a high liability for misuse. A number of different risk factors can contribute to opioid misuse, a notable example of which is trauma. One type of trauma that may be particularly relevant is intimate partner violence (IPV), which is a common traumatic stressor among women. Research suggests that IPV and opioid misuse are associated, perhaps because women use opioids to relieve pain associated with IPV-related injuries as well as to cope with psychological distress following IPV. However, there is little research on which types of IPV are most predictive of opioid misuse. In this study, we examined the relative influence of IPV subtypes on opioid misuse in a sample of women (N = 168) using a partial least squares approach to multiple regression. Results suggest on average large correlations between physical, sexual, and psychological IPV as well as IPV-related injury with opioid misuse. Results further suggest that IPV-related injury and psychological IPV predicted opioid misuse over and above other forms of IPV (e.g., physical, sexual) and other traumatic stressors. These findings highlight the pain-relieving function of opioids for both physical injuries and psychological pain, which has implications for screening women for past or current IPV, especially those under consideration for treatment with opioids.