May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. This month we are sharing information about how domestic violence impacts mental health.

Domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States, affecting nearly 10 million people each year. It encompasses intimate partner violence, refers to physical, sexual or psychological harm done to an individual by a current or former partner or spouse. Domestic violence is associated with a range of physical and mental health effects. More than one in three women, and one in four men, have experienced physical violence, rape or stalking victimization by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Domestic and family violence encompasses child abuse, intimate partner violence and elder abuse.

The effects of domestic violence have far-reaching implications, not only for the victim, but also for their family, friends or other loved ones who m ay be exposed or aware of the abuse. Abuse can affect the way we feel about ourselves, the way we take care for ourselves, and how we interact with others. Beyond that, domestic violence can also have a profound impact on our mental health and sometimes lead to serious and/or chronic mental health conditions.

Domestic violence affects mental health in several ways. It throws overboard a person’s mental imbalance. Also, it can lead to a situation of self-doubt and worthlessness in the victim. Such abuse significantly impacts the self-esteem and self-worth of the person it is inflicted upon. Living in an abusive relationship for an extended period under intimidation and humiliation deprives the person of a healthy atmosphere. Thus, it results in a variety of mental health problems such as anxiety to emotional disorders in the victim.

While its immediate impact can be visibly harrowing, the consequences of domestic violence on mental health often run deep and enduring. This section below covers the various adverse effects of domestic violence on mental health and how it can have severe negative consequences in a person’s life.

 

 

Domestic Violence Risk for Persons with An Existing Mental Health Condition

Domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States, affecting nearly 10 million people each year. It is estimated that one in four women and one in nine men are victims of domestic violence.

People with a mental health disorder have a significantly higher risk of becoming victims of domestic violence compared to the general population. The relationship between domestic violence and mental health is closely intertwined.

If you, or someone you know, is the victim of domestic violence, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Call our 24 hour hotline where you can speak with a trained advocate at 936-441-7273.

POST CONTENT: Research suggests…

• 30-60% of women with a chronic mental illness have experienced domestic violence.
• Women with an existing depressive disorder are 2.5 times more likely to be domestically abused, over women with no mental health condition.
• This figure increases to 3.5 times more likely for women with an existing anxiety disorder.
• And, up to 7 times more likely for women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Increased risk is also associated with women with eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health problems.

 

How Domestic Violence Can Affect Mental Health

Domestic violence is a terribly sad and emotional reality in many homes across America – and the world. Understandably, victims often experience an array of overwhelming emotions, even after being freed from the abusive home or relationship. It is important for victims to find emotional support to help them enact healthy ways of processing and healing from their trauma.

Individuals who have endured physical or mental abuse are at high risk for the development of mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

Psychological effects of domestic violence:

• On average, more than half of the women seen in mental health settings are or have been abused by an intimate partner.
• Common diagnoses among these women include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.

Other domestic violence effects that contribute to poor mental health:

• Trauma can often produce other acute and lasting changes in physiology, arousal, emotion, cognition, and memory. These changes wouldn’t necessarily result in a psychological diagnosis but can negatively affect mental health.
• Victims may also experience a loss of agency, meaning they no longer feel in control of their life or what happens to them. This can create feelings of hopelessness or cause them to “shut down”.

 

Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Experiencing Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is associated with a range of physical and mental health effects. Being a victim of domestic violence is linked to increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and suicide. Exposure to traumatic events can lead to stress, fear and isolation, which may lead to depression and suicidal thoughts or behavior.

Survivors of domestic violence may internalize verbal abuse from their partner. They may blame themselves for their situation or feel anger and resentment toward themselves. After enduring abuse, survivors may experience difficulties in new relationships.

Domestic violence survivors are more likely to experience health problems and perceive their overall health as poor compared to those who have not experienced domestic violence. About 75% of female survivors experience some form of injury related to the domestic violence. In addition to injuries, common physical symptoms include headaches, insomnia, chronic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, chest, back, and pelvic pain.

Traumatic brain injury and nonfatal strangulation (i.e., choking) are forms of intimate partner violence that often go unrecognized. Intimate partner violence can also result in unplanned pregnancies and pregnancy complications for the mother and child.

Additionally, more than half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner, according to U.S. crime reports.

 

 

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children

Violence also affects the children of those involved. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children of people experiencing abuse are more likely to be abused themselves. They also tend to have poorer school performance than their peers and higher rates of illness, including depression and anxiety. Witnessing domestic abuse is considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Such toxic stress in early life is linked to several negative health outcomes in adulthood, ranging from depression and substance use disorder to diabetes and heart disease. Children who grow up in the presence of domestic violence are more likely to experience it themselves once they reach adulthood. Boys from such environments are more likely to become perpetrators of violence, while girls are more likely to be victimized in adulthood.

 

 

Abuse and Mental Illness: Is There a Connection?

A common assumption we hear is that abuse is caused by a partner’s mental health condition, for example: bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), narcissistic personality, borderline personality or antisocial personality. While these are serious mental health conditions, they do not cause abuse.

Mental illness tends to impact all areas of a person’s life, such as work, interactions with friends, family engagement and personal relationships.

Since abusive behaviors happen primarily in one’s intimate partner relationship, it’s common that an abusive partner will not show their negative or harmful behaviors with friends, co-workers or family members. An abusive partner tends to put on what can be considered a “fake mask” for the rest of the world to see. When it’s just the victim and the abusive partner together, that mask comes off and the victim sees a different side that others aren’t allowed to see. The impact of being the only person to see this behavior is often isolating for the victim, as they may think (or the abusive person may even say) that no one else will believe them since no one else has witnessed the abusive behaviors. This also makes it easier for the abusive person to make their partner feel responsible for their abusive behavior, which reinforces the isolation.

The following questions may help clarify whether what your partner is doing is abuse or abuse with mental illness:

• Does my partner yell or scream at others (friends, coworkers, family members) outside of our relationship?
• Does my partner make others check in to see where they’re at and who they’re with?
• Does my partner hit others outside of our relationship?
• Does my partner minimize or verbally tear down others?
• Does my partner pressure others to do things that they aren’t okay with?
• Does my partner make threats to others when they say something my partner doesn’t agree with?

If you answered no to most of the questions, then most likely your partner is abusive without mental illness.