Victims of family violence are at higher risk for serious mental illness

Research at the University of Birmingham suggests that women who are victims of domestic violence are three times more likely to develop a serious mental illness.

But they are also twice as likely to have ever had some form of mental illness, according to the British Journal of Psychiatry study.

Experts said opportunities were lacking to detect abuses and support vulnerable women.

GPs said they were very well trained to spot it, but it was often well hidden.

The study involved 18,547 women who had informed their general practitioner of domestic violence.

They were followed for several years and compared to a group of more than 74,000 women of the same age who had no experience of domestic violence.

Dr. Joht Singh Chandan, senior author and academic researcher in public health at the University of Birmingham, said that the burden of mental illness caused by domestic violence in the UK could be considerably heavier than expected.

"Given the prevalence of domestic violence, it is important to understand how closely these two links are and to determine whether it is possible to improve the lives of women victims of domestic violence."

"Abuses have profoundly transformed me"

One of these women is receiving help from Agenda, an organization that helps women and girls at risk.

She told the BBC: "The domestic violence that I have suffered has profoundly transformed me as a person.

"I am generally sleep-deprived because of insomnia now, and it seems like I'm going through a lot of time between eating too much or not enough food.

"I trust others a lot less and I try to keep people at bay, which has unfortunately damaged countless friendships, many of which are irreparable."

The first time she went to mental health services to treat these problems, she said that she did not believe it.

Finally, she was cut after being taken to A & E against her will.

The researchers' badysis, from 1995 to 2017, showed that almost half of the women who had consulted their family doctor for family violence had already contracted a mental illness.

When they were excluded from the study, the authors found that victims of spousal abuse were twice as likely to develop anxiety and three times more likely to develop depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

According to the study, they were also twice as likely to need prescription drugs.

This was the case even taking into account other factors, such as the amount of alcohol consumed, smoking and body mbad index (BMI), also related to the mental illness.

Under-reporting of abuse

According to official crime figures, about one in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

But this study, based on general practitioner records, found that only 0.5% of women are affected, suggesting some degree of underreporting.

According to researchers, police could do more to report cases of domestic violence to health professionals.

And they call for better support for women who have suffered domestic violence to prevent the development of mental illness.

Dr. Beena Rajkumar of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that domestic violence has a "devastating impact" on mental health.

"Screening and recording domestic violence must be a clear priority for public services so that more effective interventions for this vulnerable group of women can be urgently implemented."

"Ask questions about violence"

Professor Louise Howard, of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience of King's College London, said the study was observational and could not provide conclusive evidence on the causes – but that it still contained an important message.

"Domestic violence and abuse is a serious public health and public mental health problem.

"Health practitioners who see women with mental health problems in primary or secondary care should therefore be trained to regularly ask questions about domestic violence and abuse, and how to respond safely."

Prof. Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Royal College of GPs, said the training of all generalists on the protection of adults and children was mandatory.

And she added, "We understand how difficult it can be to ask for help for domestic violence, but it is vital that patients do not suffer in silence – and that they see the doctor GP and the other members of his team as people they can trust and talk to. "