Violence and mental disorders or illnesses due to poor mental health are among the leading causes of death and disability among adults in the United States. This study examined the association between victimization from violence and poor mental health in adults using data from the 2002-2006 General Social Survey. This study also investigated how this relationship between victimization from violence and poor mental health differed by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Results from a multivariate linear regression found that victimization from a personal assault, age, gender, social class, and exposure to multiple victimization exposures was associated with higher days of poor mental health. Respondents who were victimized had higher days of poor mental health than respondents who were not victimized; younger respondents had higher days of poor mental health than older respondents; females had higher days of poor mental health than males; respondents in the lower class, working class, and upper class had higher days of poor mental health than respondents in the middle class; respondents exposed to three victimization exposures had higher days of poor mental health than respondents exposed to one victimization exposure. Results from this study suggest that those victimized from violence are likely to benefit from prevention and early intervention treatment programs that deal with treating mental disorders and illnesses, since symptoms could eventually become actual diagnoses.
