Abstract
Although rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) tend to rise following natural disasters, partly via trauma-related symptoms, the trauma-specific mechanisms underlying IPV perpetration during epidemics and pandemics such as COVID-19 remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between COVID-19 (its incidence or symptoms) and IPV and the contribution of trauma-related symptoms to such association during the first wave of the pandemic (March-April 2020). This study applied generalized linear modeling and structural equation modeling to analyze data from a demographically diverse U.S. online panel survey (N = 1,183). The variables included self-reported data of IPV perpetration, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 symptoms ("likely COVID-19"). Additionally, we examined COVID-19 state-level data for tested and confirmed cases as reported by the Johns Hopkins University Center during March 2020 ("tested COVID-19"). Groups in states with higher incidence of COVID-19 had significantly higher rates of IPV perpetration than groups in states with lower incidence of COVID-19. Furthermore, the findings indicated that posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms were indirectly associated with likely COVID-19 symptoms and psychological and physical IPV perpetration. These results suggested a connection between COVID-19 and IPV perpetration and indicated how trauma-related symptoms affected this association. The results underscore that trauma-related symptoms during public health crises such as pandemics are a risk factor for IPV perpetration. Trauma-informed screening and intervention can be useful in identifying and reducing IPV during the early stages of such crises. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).