Hello Isla

There are several points I will try to summarise in regard to your questions before suggesting any studies.

There is indeed a vast majority of empirical evidence showing  adverse mental health outcomes (not necessarily "illness") linked to domestic violence/partner abuse victimisation/perpetration. One of the most common reasons some activists, mental health professionals and researchers do not link disorders found in the DSM is because of the fear of "pathologising" partner abuse and how this could take away accountability for perpetrators, particularly in legal settings (e.g. courts of law). Whilst some research (gendered perspective) focuses on control and structural gender inequality differentials (and to a lesser extent other factors) to explain partner abuse aetiology, other research pioneered by family violence researcher shows a constellation of factors  (amongst them individual factors such as personality features, psychopathology) within an ecological model impacting victims and perpetrators (NOTE here I say mental health indicators have been tested as VARIABLES. This is important to clarify because a great deal of (if not all) studies will test certain mental health CORRELATES  (not causality, e.g. PTSD, depression, anti-social or borderline behaviour, etc.) and partner abuse.

Another point to clarify is that most intimate partner violence is not often only targeted at one person (at least not in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK). You review the studies of Murray Straus and collaborators, John Archer's meta-analyses, etc.

Certainly, history of violence in the family of origin is one of the strongest factors linked to adulthood experiences of partner abuse victimisation/perpetration. You can check the Dunedin longitudinal study by Terri Moffit and colleagues. Researchers such as Murray Straus, Denisse Hines, Michael Johnson have conducted studies investigating  adverse mental health  conditions focusing on women and men by victimisation type. Typological research (focusing also on perpetrators-e.g Holtzworth-Munroe & Stuart, John Gottman, etc) will also shed light on these matters.

 Hopes this helps 

Esteban

Please check out work by Roland Maiuro at the University of Washington. He has not only treated men who have a history of DV, but also has published measures to examine DV.

Thank you all for your input. Esteban, thank you for the points you raised, it was an interesting read. I will take a look at the studies you suggest soon.

An added note: I would like to focus on victims rather than those who perpetrate. Thanks 

Dear Dr. Murray

Statistically, it’s estimated that 30 to 60 percent of domestic violence abusers are suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.

This article may be helpful.

Associations Between Dysfunctional Personality Traits and Intimate Partner Violence in Perpetrators and Victims J Interpers Violence September 1, 2014 29: 2418-2438

Check out the Journal: Violence and Victims, it has published numerous articles on this topic over the last 20 years.

  Dear Dr. Murray,

I think it is better to study borderline disorders, narcissistic disorders and antisocial disorders with domestic violence.

Regards,