Women’s Refuge wholeheartedly supports the findings of
new research released today from the University of Auckland,
Waipapa Taumata Rau. This comprehensive study of more than
1400 Aotearoa women concludes that women who have
experienced intimate partner violence are almost three times
as likely to have a diagnosed mental health condition and
almost twice as likely to have a chronic illness, compared
with those who have not experienced intimate partner
violence.
“We thank Associate Professor Janet
Fanslow, the key author of the research, for confirming this
connection, something we know and see on a daily basis in
our work”, say Dr Ang Jury ONZM, Chief Executive,
Women’s Refuge.
The research looked at five
different types of intimate partner violence including
exposure to physical violence, sexual violence,
psychological abuse, controlling behaviour and economic
abuse, finding that experiencing these types of abuse led to
negative long-term outcomes for mental and physical
health.
“We have seen this play out in a countless
number of women’s lives. If you are living in a situation
that is dominated by coercion and control, constantly
needing to be at high alert, and never knowing what will
happen next, there are inevitably going to be serious
impacts on your well-being. Human beings are simply not
built to withstand this type of situation for sustained
periods of time.”
The research also demonstrates
that the 11 percent of women surveyed who had experienced
four or five types of abuse were four times more likely to
have a diagnosed mental health condition, such as
depression, anxiety or substance abuse.
The same group
had double the risk of a chronic health problem, such as
heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, or asthma, compared
with women who did not experience violence.
“This
mirrors with what we see in our high-risk clients, many of
which who have experienced feelings of not knowing if they
will even survive another day. It is a complex process to
support them to establish a violence-free life, and it is
not unusual for us to see extreme depression, significant
health problems, and issues with drugs or alcohol as women
self-medicate to deal with their lives”.
Dr Fanslow
says that, given these findings, it is critical that
healthcare professionals are equipped with the necessary
tools and training to enable them to identify signs of abuse
displayed by patients and enable them to make appropriate
referrals to specialist services.
“We support the
findings of this study 100% and conclusions suggesting
everyone has a part to play in combating this destructive
social problem. If we want to reduce the appalling rates of
family violence in Aotearoa, we need to approach it from
every angle we can, including health, education and direct
intervention.”
“Abuse over the long-term can
devastate virtually every aspect of someone’s life. If we
can reach those who are in these situations earlier, we have
a far better chance of lessening the impact the abuse will
have on someone’s future.”
“It would be
incredible if this research leads to different agencies like
health, renewing their work in looking for these signs and
helping to ensure a brighter future for so many in
Aotearoa.”
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