The relationship between domestic violence and its psychological consequences with borderline personality disorder and alcohol abuse

Experiencing domestic violence in childhood affects the mental health and social function, alcohol abuse and borderline personality disorder in adulthood. Objective of the current study is to investigate the relationship between physical and psychological violence with alcohol abuse, borderline personality disorders and also the effect of experiencing violence in childhood on mental health in adulthood. The current study is a descriptive correlative research. To do this, mental health and experiencing domestic violence were assessed using GHQ28 (1972) and Pournaghash Tehrani domestic violence questionnaires (2005), respectively. Subjects included 220 men and women (110 men and 110 women) from Tehran province and were administered the aforementioned questionnaires. Moreover, Mclean Screening Instrument (MSI-BPD) (2003) for Borderline personality disorder and alcohol abuse disorder questionnaire (AUDIT)(1989) were utilized. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS software. Results were presented based on comparison of averages, independent t-test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that experiences of violence in childhood increase anxiety and social dysfunction based on the type of experienced violence with significance of P<0.01. In addition, results showed a significant correlation between borderline personality and alcohol abuse disorders with different types of violence at P<0.05 level. This means that higher level of experience of domestic violence is related to the reduction of mental health, as well as borderline personality disorder and alcohol abuse.