Journal of Interpersonal Violence XX(X) 1–20 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0886260512475310 jiv.sagepub.com 475310JIV XXX10.1177/0886260512475310Journal of Interpersonal ViolenceAlvarez-del Arco et al. 2013 1 Carlos III Institute of Public Health, Madrid, Spain 2 Health Department of Murcia, Murcia, Spain 3 Health Department of Andalucía, Almeria, Spain 4 University of Alcala, Madrid, Spain 5 Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada Corresponding Author: Debora Alvarez-del Arco, Carlos III Institute of Public Health, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, Madrid, 28029, Spain. Email: dalvarez@isciii.es Violence in Adulthood and Mental Health: Gender and Immigrant Status Debora Alvarez-del Arco, 1 Julia del Amo, 1 Rocio Garcia-Pina, 2 Ana Maria Garcia-Fulgueiras, 2 M. Angeles Rodriguez-Arenas, 1 Vicente Ibañez-Rojo, 3 Domingo Díaz-del Peral, 3 Inma Jarrin, 1 Alberto Fernandez-Liria, 4 Maria Victoria Zunzunegui, 5 Visitación Garcia-Ortuzar, 2 Lucia Mazarrasa, 1 and Alicia Llacer 1 Abstract The aim of this study was to describe perceived abuse in adult Spanish and Ecuadorian women and men and to assess its association with mental health. A population-based survey was conducted in Spain in 2006. Data were taken from a probabilistic sample allowing for an equal number of men and women, Spaniards and Ecuadorians. Mental disorder was measured with the General Health Questionnaire-28. The nine questions on exposure to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse during the previous year were self-administered. Mul- tivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between ex- posure to abuse and poor mental health, adjusting for potential confounders. The sample was composed of 1,059 individuals aged 18 to 54, 104 of whom reported physical, psychological, or sexual abuse. Some 6% refused to Article at UNIVERSITE DE MONTREAL on February 3, 2015 jiv.sagepub.com Downloaded from