
One in five people who die by suicide experienced intimate partner problems that included divorce, separation, arguments and violence, new research shows. “I think people hear the term intimate partner problems and go straight to intimate partner violence. That is a component of intimate partner problems, but it’s not just about violence,” said study author Lt. Cmdr. Ayana Stanley, who began researching the issue while at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Public Health. “Romantic partners experience other kinds of relationship stressors, such as general hostility, arguments and jealousy,” said Stanley, who is now a program coordinator in the division of violence prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “By sharing resources for seeking help, we send a strong message that every life has value, there is hope and that seeking help is a sign of strength.” Suicide is a leading cause of death among Americans, with more than 48,000 people dying by suicide in 2021, according to the CDC. For those who had intimate partner problems, it was more common to have other contributing issues, such as mental health problems, recent legal issues, and life stressors including unemployment and family problems, according to the researchers, who culled data from 2003 to 2020. In suicides that did not involve intimate partner problems, the person who died was more likely to be… read on > read on >