Economic Abuse as a Form of Intimate Partner Violence: A Literature Review of the Instruments and Mental Well-Being Outcomes

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exists in various forms including physical, psychological, sexual, and economic. Although abundant literature documented the association between physical, psychological, or sexual violence with the associated mental well-being outcomes on survivors, the literature on economic violence, and its consequences were insufficient. In the past, most of the literature captured economic abuse within the scope of psychological abuse. However, different from psychological abuse, survivors of economic abuse may directly suffer from deteriorating economic well-being. Therefore, there is a need to explicitly investigate economic abuse. This paper aims to critically appraise and summarize the instruments of economic abuse and the associated mental well-being outcomes on women. This study highlights the lack of vigorous study in the area and also an underreporting of the negative impact of economic abuse. The implications and future research directions are discussed.