Citation

Wolford-Clevenger C, Grigorian H, Brem MJ, Florimbio AR, Elmquist J, Stuart GL. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2017; 26(9): 1042-1054.

Affiliation

University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Department of Psychology, 204 Austin Peay Bldg. Knoxville, TN 37996-0900, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10926771.2017.1335821

PMID

29081647

PMCID

PMC5658049

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated that coercive control is more strongly associated with suicidal ideation than other forms of intimate partner violence. However, a majority of these studies focused on samples of help-seeking women. This study examined whether coercive control remains the form of intimate partner violence most strongly associated with suicidal ideation within a sample of nonclinical dating couples. This cross-sectional, survey study on 104 dating couples examined the associations of coercive control (i.e., dominance/intimidation and restrictive engulfment) with suicidal ideation, while controlling for other forms of emotional abuse (i.e., hostile withdrawal and denigration), physical assault, and depressive symptoms. As expected, dominance/intimidation and depressive symptoms, but not denigration and physical assault, were associated with suicidal ideation. Contrary to our hypothesis, hostile withdrawal, but not restrictive engulfment, was associated with suicidal ideation. This study suggests that dominance/intimidation and hostile withdrawal are forms of emotional abuse that are pertinent to suicidal ideation in nonclinical dating couples.

Language: en

Keywords

coercive control; domestic violence; dyads; ideation; partner abuse; physical abuse; psychological aggression; suicide risk