Mental Health and Domestic Abuse: A Review of the Literature

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published by Womens Aid and is available as an open-access article. Domestic abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the mental health of survivors and their children. However, survivors face a range of barriers in accessing mental health support, and often find that the support that is available is not appropriate, does not recognise the links between domestic abuse and trauma, and can cause re-traumatisation. Meanwhile, the mental health impacts of domestic abuse can be weaponised by perpetrators and misunderstood by the healthcare professionals that survivors come into contact with as they attempt to rebuild their lives. This literature review was developed as part of Womens Aids Deserve To Be Heard campaign.1 The campaign is calling for recognition of the impact that domestic abuse has on the mental health of women and their children, and the importance of provision of support that meets their needs. This literature review presents an overview of available evidence around domestic abuse, mental health and trauma in the United Kingdom. This course on domestic violence and mental health is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of mental health and domestic violence. The course material includes a literature review of research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Womens Aid Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding domestic abuse and mental health. Specifically, a professional will: Describe the impact of domestic abuse on mental well-being Identify intersecting forms of oppression and experiences of marginalized groups Describe barriers to accessing mental health support for victims of domestic violence. Describe how the mental health recovery needs of survivors can be met. Citation: Womens Aid. (2021) Mental health and domestic abuse: A review of the literature. Bristol: Womens Aid