Page 153 - GHES-2-4

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Impact of dating violence on mental health

Participants were recruited from educational and victimization and perpetration items are categorized
employment centers in Spain and through the network of into three types of violence: (1) psychological violence,
undergraduate and graduate psychology students involved assessed with nine items that address behaviors such as
in data collection. All students who assisted with collecting insulting, belittling, manipulating, humiliating, blaming,
information for psychological tests were previously trained or controlling; (2) physical violence, assessed with 10 items
and received course credit. Data were collected with paper covering behaviors like slapping, shoving, beating,
and pencil. Research assistants contacted each participant, hitting, or threatening physical violence; and (3) sexual
explained the general characteristics of the study, ensured violence, assessed with two items: one related to forcing or
confidentiality, and informed them of their right to threatening to perform unwanted sexual acts and the other
withdraw at any time. Participants who agreed to take related to threatening to leave if the partner’s sexual desires
part received an envelope containing self-administered are not accepted. For the current sample, the internal
assessment tests and a sociodemographic data collection consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the 21 items measuring
sheet, along with instructions for completing the tests. The victimization was 0.86 and for the 21 items measuring
research assistant arranged a time and place for collecting perpetration was 0.89. Regarding psychological, physical,
the completed tests, ensuring that the interval between test and sexual violence, for victimization, Cronbach’s alpha
delivery and completion did not exceed 10 days. was 0.82, 0.77, and 0.69, respectively, and for perpetration,
All participants provided verbal consent to participate it was 0.64, 0.92, and 0.50, respectively.
in the study after being informed about its purpose. 2.2.2. Mental health symptoms
Responses were completely anonymous, and no names or
other identifying information were recorded. The study Mental health symptoms were assessed using the General
was approved by the Animal Research and Welfare Ethics Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28; Goldberg et al., 1996). The
Committee of the University of La Laguna (study approval GHQ-28 is a self-administered screening test consisting
number 2013 – 0058). of four subscales of seven items, each assessing anxiety
and insomnia, somatic symptoms, severe depression, and
Data for this research were extracted from a larger
study on dating violence, health, and gender, using the social dysfunction. Items were scored on a Likert-type scale
with each item weighted from 0 to 3, with higher scores
following criteria: (1) Participants were 17 years of age indicating more symptoms. For the current sample, the
or older. (2) They currently or previously had a dating internal consistency was 0.84 for somatic symptoms, 0.90 for
partner. (3) They were not married or living with a partner. anxiety and insomnia symptoms, 0.82 for social dysfunction
(4) They completed all the questionnaires and scales.
symptoms, and 0.90 for severe depression symptoms.
To control for similar sociodemographic characteristics
between opposite-sex and same-sex partners and between 2.2.3. Life satisfaction
women and men, the group of men with same-sex partners Life satisfaction was assessed using the Spanish version of
was selected first considering their smaller numbers. Once the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985). This
their sociodemographic characteristics were established, five-item scale uses a seven-point Likert scale, with higher
a sample of women with same-sex partners was selected, scores indicating greater overall life satisfaction. The
ensuring that their age, occupation, education, and marital internal consistency of the five items in the current study
status were similar to those of men. Next, groups of was 0.84.
women and men with opposite-sex partners were selected,
with age, occupation, education, and marital status being 2.2.4. Self-esteem
comparable to those of the same-sex partner. The Spanish version of the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale
2.2. Measures (Rosenberg, 1965) was used to assess self-esteem. This
scale consists of 10 items designed to measure global
2.2.1. Dating violence self-esteem, with each item scored on a four-point scale.

Dating violence was assessed using a scale developed by Higher scores indicate higher self-esteem. The internal
the authors, consisting of 42 items. Twenty-one items consistency for the current sample was 0.88.
measure dating violence victimization and the remaining 2.2.5. Traditional gender role attitudes
21 measure dating violence perpetration. Each item collects
information about the frequency (never, sometimes, often) Traditional attitudes toward gender roles were assessed
of being a victim or perpetrator of violence or controlling using the Gender Roles Attitudes Questionnaire (Matud,
behavior. The scale also asks about the sex of the dating 2001 – 2004). This 22-item measure evaluates adherence to
partner whose violence was assessed. The dating violence traditional views about the social roles of men and women.

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.3300