Trauma, Mental Health and Domestic Violence

Overview

More than 57 million people in the United States (age 18 and older) suffer from a mental illness. Over 50% of women who live with a mental illness have previously experienced some sort of trauma such as physical or sexual abuse (either during childhood or adulthood). Domestic violence can cause an adverse ripple effect on the emotional and psychological state of a survivor. Panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression and anxiety are often ignited by domestic violence and/or other severe forms of abuse. Issues surrounding poor mental health are often ignored or go unaddressed by society. Coping with emotional and psychological traumas often becomes burdensome for survivors. Stabilizing basic resources can become strenuous and tedious. Persons living with mental illness are overrepresented in homelessness populations, prisons, and often experience economic injustices. Suicidal tendencies, substance abuse and psychotic episodes can all be sparked by violence and maltreatment. Individuals may simultaneously suffer from more than one mental illness. Children exposed to domestic violence are at risk for developmental delays, psychiatric disorders, school difficulties, aggressive behavior, and low self-esteem. While being exposed to a traumatic experience can trigger mental health problems, living with a severe mental illness is likely to increase the vulnerability of a person being abused. Although abuse can cause emotional scarring, the majority of victims do not develop serious mental health issues.

FCADV provides many resources to certified domestic violence centers for enhancing service provision to survivors living with mental health complexities. These resources include onsite and electronic training and technical assistance as well as educational materials. Please use this page to search for resources to support service provision in your center. If you need additional assistance please email FCADV at mhta@fcadv.org.

In August 2009, Carole Warshaw, MD will be providing three trainings throughout the state on service provision that best addresses mental health, trauma and domestic violence. Dates to be announced soon. Scholarships will be available; please plan to attend.

Select one of the following links to explore this topic further.

Statistics
Resources
Links

Statistics

1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009)

Research indicates:

• 54% to 84% of battered women suffer from PTSD,
• 63% to 77% of battered women experience depression, and
• 38% to 75% experience anxiety.

Abuse rates are higher among homeless women with serious mental illnesses. A study with 99 episodically homeless women with serious mental illness, found that significant numbers had been physically (70%) or sexually (30.4%) abused by a partner. Rates of physical or sexual abuse in adulthood by any perpetrator were 87% and 76%, respectively (Goodman et al, 1995).

Between 3.3 million and 10 million children witness domestic violence annually (American Bar Association, 2009).

Across studies of US and Canadian women receiving services for domestic violence, rates of depression ranged from 17% to 72%, and rates of PTSD ranged from 33% to 88% (Warshaw & Barnes, 2003).

Resources

Current Research on Mental Health and Domestic Violence

1. Community Violence in Context: Risk and Resilience in Children and Families (Aisenberg, Herrenkohl, 2008)
2. Violence Between Therapy-Seeking Veterans and Their Partners (Teten, et al., 2009)
3. Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Women Exposed to Community and Partner Violence (Brown, et al., 2005)
4. Violence Against Women: Outcome Complexity and Implications for Assessment and Treatment (Briere, Jordan, 2004)
5. Pathways Linking Intimate Partner Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Dutton, 2009)
6. Intimate Partner Violence and Women's Depression Before and During Pregnancy (Martin, et al. 2006)
7. Intimate Partner Violence, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Adverse Health Outcomes (Dutton, et al., 2006)
8. Unemployment Among Women: Examining the Relationship of Physiological and Psychological Intimate Partner Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Kimmerling, et al., 2009)
9. Mental Health Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence in Marital Relationships in a Nationally Representative Sample of Males and Females (Afifi, et. al, 2009)
10. Violence Against Women and the Perinatal Period: The Impact of Lifetime Violence and Abuse on Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding (Kendall-Tackett, 2007)
11. Intimate Partner Violence and Miscarriage: Examination of the Role of Physiological and Psychological Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Moreland, et al., 2008)
12. Mutual Partner Violence: Mental Health Symptoms Among Female and Male Victims in Four Racial/Ethnic Groups (Propero, Kim, 2008)

For More Articles about trauma, mental health and domestic violence visit Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma Policy Initiative Publications or Sage Publications. For limited access to full text articles, advocates at Florida's certified domestic violence centers may email the request to mhta@fcadv.org

Library

The following materials available for advocates employed or volunteering at one of Florida's 42 certified DV centers. Visit our Resource Library to check out these items.

Links

Domestic Violence and Mental Health Links

• Domestic Violence Mental Health Policy Initiative
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health

Trauma

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• PTSD Alliance
• Get help now (Links to other websites and crises hotlines)

Mental Health Links

• National Institute of Mental Health
• World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Info.

Mental Health News

• Medical News Today
• Mental Help

Mental Health Hotlines

• National Mental Health Information Center