The Hidden Link: Intimate Partner Violence and Suicidality among Women

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicidality are two deeply intertwined public health issues affecting women globally. While each carries significant consequences on its own, growing evidence shows they often co-occur, with IPV functioning as a key driver of mental health challenges that heighten the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts. The Grand Challenges for Social Work identify both ending violence and closing the health gap as essential priorities for advancing well-being and social justice. Addressing the intersection of IPV and suicidality is a critical part of that work. This Viewpoint column explores the relationship between these two issues and calls for integrated responses across healthcare and social service systems. Studies demonstrate that while men die by suicide more frequently than women, women attempt suicide more often than men (Sher, 2022). Women are 1.3 to three times more likely to make suicide attempts compared with men (Tsirigotis et al., 2011). This trend is consistent across various regions of the world, including Western countries where men typically have higher rates of completed suicides. The reasons behind this gender disparity are multifaceted. Women are at an elevated risk for developing depression due, in part, to hormonal fluctuations associated with key reproductive life stages, including puberty, each premenstrual period, postpartum, and perimenopause. Furthermore, the exposure to gender-based violence, childhood sexual abuse, and systemic discrimination among women and girls significantly contribute to their increased rates of depression diagnoses (Kuehner, 2017). Thus, women are often more vulnerable to psychological trauma and stress, contributing to the overall burden of suicidality. Moreover, cultural and societal factors including lower social status and extreme societal pressure can influence their mental health and coping mechanisms. For instance, in Nepal, women are reported to attempt suicide at rates three times higher than men due to domestic abuse, infidelity of husbands, unwanted pregnancies, and early marriages (Licata et al., 2019). Similar higher rates of suicidal behavior are found among women of childbearing age in India (Patel et al., 2012; Ramesh et al., 2022).