Substance abuse and IPV among newly married couples: Moderation by antisocial personality and spousal substance use

Substance abuse is associated with greater risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). The extent to which alcohol or drug use may influence different sub-types of IPV remains unclear. We investigated this issue using data from a community sample of newly married couples, limiting the sample to couples who reported IPV at the time of marriage (n = 321). We calculated all estimates using generalized multilevel models, specifying a Poisson distribution for the IPV outcome and a log link function. We examined whether frequency of binge drinking and frequency of marijuana use at baseline predicted frequency of IPV over the next four years. We adjusted estimates for household income, age, parental status, and education. For both Husband and Wife IPV frequency, we examined predictive three-way interactions between substance use, antisocial personality, and spousal substance use. When these interactions were non-significant, we examined the composite two-way interactions. Only significant associations were found for those scoring low on antisocial personality. For both husbands and wives, frequency of binge drinking predicted IPV frequency among those whose spouses reported infrequent binge drinking (husbands RR = 1.30, wives RR = 1.33; p < 0.05). Marijuana use predicted greater frequency of IPV for husbands (RR = 1.17) and lesser frequency of IPV for wives (RR = 0.72) (p < 0.05). Community-level interventions targeted at reducing IPV may be more effective if focused on: 1) reducing substance use among those at risk for IPV particularly if perpetrators are non-antisocial; and 2) when substance use is discordant between spouses.