Health-Related COVID-19 Stressors and Intimate Partner Violence: A Novel Application of the ABCX Family Stress Model

COVID-19 brought on health-related stressors which have not been previously explored as risks for intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study applies the ABCX model of family stress to assess whether health-related stressors were associated with more severe IPV and the mediational role of resources (i.e., negotiation skills, emotion regulation skills, social support) and perceptions (i.e., meaning in life, loneliness) in these relationships. Using MTURK, adults across the United States participated in an anonymous online survey. Participants were allocated to groups according to relationship status and IPV presence and severity. A series of multiple mediation analyses was conducted to investigate if personal resources and perception of circumstance mediated the relationship between health-related stressors and IPV severity. The findings indicate a positive association between COVID-19 health-related stressors and IPV severity. These relationships were primarily mediated by increased attempts to suppress emotional expression, feelings of loneliness, and search for meaning in one’s life. The findings support the applicability of the ABCX models to understanding IPV, suggesting that the health-related stressors should be considered as risk factors for IPV, and identify explanatory mechanisms that could also be targets for intervention.