Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

People with mental illness are at significantly increased risk of victimization from any type of violence, including dating violence. People with mental illness are at particularly high risk for dating violence due in part to the characteristics of their illness (i.e., impaired social skills). The purpose of this research is to describe the characteristics of intimate relationships among United States college students attending a mid-sized public university who self-identify as having a mental illness. Data will be obtained from the 2018 National College Health Assessment II. Data include self-reported mental health status, mental health diagnosis, relationship characteristics (including dating violence), suicidality, and demographics including age, gender, enrollment status, and sexual orientation. Data analysis will include descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and ANOVA. Analyses will reveal relationship characteristics for this population and may identify risk factors for dating violence. The results of this study can inform the development of relationship education programs for college students with mental illness.