Gender differences in the link between intimate partner physical violence and depression

•Studies on physical partner violence and depression sampled battered women only.•Studies on physical partner violence and depression investigated victims only.•Physical partner violence and depression research should be based on Dyadic Types.•Research has consistently shown that Both-Assault is the most prevalent Dyadic Type.•Both partners in violent relationships suffer relatively high levels of depression.•Level of depression is lowest for both partners in the Female-Only Dyadic Type.•Evolutionary and socialization processes produce motivations.•Status enhancement and risk reduction are two basic gender-related motivations.•Motivations are the cause and consequence of social expectations, goals and roles.•Gender differences in depression result from social expectations, goals and roles.

Studies show that, in violent relationships, both partners suffer from higher levels of depression than in non-violent relationships. Most of these studies were based on samples of battered women. Very little research has examined the depression levels of women who physically assault a marital or dating partner or men who assault or are victims of female assaults. Moreover, the association between intimate partner physical violence and depression does not provide a theoretical framework or an explanation for the differences in depression levels of male and female perpetrators and victims. This article presents a preliminary, yet empirically grounded, foundation for explaining research findings on depression levels for males and females in three “Dyadic Types” of intimate partner physical violence: Male-Only, Female-Only, and Both Violent. The theoretical framework involves identifying the relation of intimate partner physical violence to be of greater male than female concern with status enhancement and greater female than male concern with risk reduction, and how these play out in each of the Dyadic Types.