Male nurses and intimate partner violence: Examining mental health problems

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts a significant portion of men in the U.S. and men also represent a rising portion of registered nurses. This cross-sectional online study examines the experiences of male nurses regarding IPV, explicitly focusing on the impact of abuse on their mental health outcomes during COVID-19. Participants were recruited through social media and membership lists from state nursing organizations, agencies, educators, and labor unions. Among respondents, a subsample of participants identified as male (N = 70). The study used a series of chi-squares and t-tests to examine mental health problems between groups of male nurses who did and did not experience IPV. Results indicate that IPV survivors were more likely to be non-white identifying, have higher levels of education, and be younger in age. Mental health outcomes revealed that IPV survivors had higher rates of anxiety, depression, COVID-19 stress, and PTSD, as well as less social support than those men who did not experience partner abuse. This is the first known study of male nurses’ experiences of IPV. Related employment policies and practices should treat male IPV survivors the same as female IPV survivors.