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Use of mental health services by survivors of intimate partner violence
- Authors:
- EDMOND Tonya, BOWLAND Sharon, YU Mansoo
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 11(1), 2013, pp.34-54.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The purpose of this study was to assess current rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol, and substance abuse among a sample of 50 abused women and to examine the types of services survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) had used in the previous 12 months. Participants were recruited from a legal advocacy programme. In addition, the authors sought to understand how the presence of substance abuse, PTSD, and/or depression affects access and utilisation of services by IPV survivors. Fifty-four per cent of these IPV survivors were experiencing either PTSD, clinical depression, or both. While women with either PTSD or depression used a significantly larger number of services overall, the majority had not used any mental health services, even though they frequently reported services were accessible. Given the high rates of PTSD and depression in this sample, these abused women were clearly not receiving adequate mental health care. Many reported having trouble accessing housing, legal services, crisis lines, and medical care services that are fundamental to safety. The authors concluded that practitioners working with abused women should assess for PTSD and depression.