WOMAN WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN BRADFORD

Asian woman with mental health in Bradford

Asian woman with mental health in Bradford

Domestic Violence and mental health

Domestic Violence has, rather belatedly, now been recognised as a public health issue, with implications both for health service providers and for the individual. There is a clear link between domestic violence and mental ill health: abuse - both in childhood or adult life - is often a precursor of and a causal factor in the development of mental health issues, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and self-harming behaviour.

Violence against women is probably the most prevalent cause of depression in women, and of other mental health difficulties.

Domestic violence, rape and sexual assault also commonly result in self-harm and attempted suicide.

Self-harm seems to be used particularly by women of South Asian origin

One-third of all female suicide attempts are by women experiencing domestic violence.

Women mental health service users are much more likely to have experienced domestic violence than women in the general population

Domestic Violence and Substance Misuse

Women who misuse alcohol and other drugs are more likely to have been abused, both in childhood and adult life, than women generally. The substance misuse seems more likely to be in response to the abuse, rather than a causal factor, and it is suggested that women who have experienced abuse may turn to alcohol as a way of deadening the pain: a self-prescribed medication (Ettorre, 1997).

Asian women's use and misuse of alcohol is most often associated with other problems, including isolation and marital difficulties (including violence: 42% of clients at one Asian counselling service experience domestic violence). Similarly, women drug users have a high incidence of trauma, and as many as 70% may have experienced abuse.

Women who misuse substances are in a particularly vulnerable position, and are likely to find it even harder to report domestic violence than other women.

Some findings from survey of refuge organisations and other domestic violence services

Less than 10% of refuge organisations said they would always offer space (if they had it) to a woman with additional mental health or substance misuse needs (Women with mental health needs only were more likely to be accepted: 19% of organisations said they would offer space to women with mental health needs)

The most common response (by more than half the organisations responding) was that they might offer space; but that it would depend on a number of other factors, including the needs of other residents there at the time, and the extent of the woman's additional needs

Most tried to find refuge elsewhere - but that was not easy, and always takes longer than finding space for a woman without these additional needs

Other options were - finding place in B and B; referring to another organisation

Difficulties in providing space in a refuge include:

lack of parallel support from other agencies

lack of specialised training for refuge staff

perceived need for self-contained units

impact on other residents

perceived need for 24 hour cover

With regard to training:

30% of refuge organisations said that all or most staff were trained on alcohol issues

40% ...