The validity of a Screening Instrument for Intimate Partner Violence in Men with Substance Use Disorders seen in addiction specialist services.
Abstract
The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration is high among males with substance use disorders and is a serious public health problem. Screening for early identification of IPV perpetration among patients with substance use disorders is not widely implemented. We aimed to validate a screening instrument based on the Intimate Partner Violence - Perpetration scale developed by Rhodes et al. and the Jellinek Inventory for assessing Partner Violence.
69 professionals from 20 centres randomly selected from the Catalan Network of Attention to Drug Addiction (XAD) participated in the recruitment of 345 males. The professionals administered the 11-item ICHVM-XAD questionnaire and the CTS-2 and Psychological Abuse Questionnaire as the gold standards.
Participants and professionals also answered a short questionnaire evaluating the appropriateness of the screening tool. It included questions about how easy it was to understand, about how they felt about asking and answering the questions, and any other difficulties.
99% of the participating men considered the items clear and intelligible, and 90% of the participating professionals affirmed that they did not detect difficulties while carrying out the screening. The instrument showed 3 factors and an acceptable consistency (0.76). Regarding its relationship with the gold standards, it showed moderate to weak correlations (r=0.47-0.57) and high specificity (> 62.5). Sensitivity indicators were moderate (between 49.5 and 68.7) and higher when violence was suspected (82.4 and 87.8). Overall, the internal consistency is acceptable and the instrument showed good results in screening and detecting IPV in men with substance use disorders and good acceptability by professionals and participants.
The ICVMH-XAD screening tool with 11 questions has shown sufficient evidence of validity for the detection of gender-based violence perpetrated by men seen in centres in the Catalan Network of Attention to Drug Addiction (XAD). Its generalized use can allow early detection of men who perpetrate gender-based violence and thus aid in assessing risk and intervening in a comprehensive way, including referral to specialist settings if necessary.