000			02766nab a2200349Ia 4500
001			111243
005			20250625151154.0
008			110331s2003 eng
022			_a1175-6713
040			_aWSS _dAFV
100			_aHager, Debbie _91272
245			_aDomestic violence and mental illness : _bis there a relationship? _cHager, Debbie
260			_c2003
365			_a00 _b0
520			_aThis article discusses research findings which identify that women who are abused by their intimate male partners also experience mental health symptoms and illness, some to the extent of serious mental distress. The author explores the difficulty that these women have with accessing services, such as women's refuge, because they tend to exclude women with mental health or drug and alcohol issues. This paper derives from research carried out towards a Masters in Public Health. Thirty women were interviewed from a phenomenological perspective and the resulting data was analysed from a feminist perspective. This article examines negative mental health effects of domestic violence, which include suicide, alcohol abuse, mental illness diagnoses, and learned helplessness. Six themes emerged from the research: abuse makes women think they are crazy; the impact of being labelled with a mental illness; services can reinforce and mimic the abuse women experience; women's own stories are not always believed or are reinterpreted; abuse needs to be renamed by each woman to help them talk about their experiences; social expectations of marriage and relationships complicate domestic violence. From the results and themes of the research, the author has produced a list of what women want, some general recommendations, and recommendations to mental health services to improve how they work with women who have been abused. The author of this article concludes that abused women are very limited by where they can go for help. It is suggested that specialist refuge services are needed that provide safety and assistance with these women's symptoms.
650	2	7	_2FVC _aCULTURAL ISSUES _9177
650	2	7	_2FVC _aDOMESTIC VIOLENCE _9203
650	2	7	_2FVC _aEMOTIONAL ABUSE _9222
650	2	7	_2FVC _aINTERVENTION _9326
650	2	7	_2FVC _aMENTAL HEALTH _9377
650	2	7	_aMENTAL ILLNESS _9380
650	2	7	_2FVC _aPHYSICAL ABUSE _9439
650	2	4	_aPSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE _9472
650	2	4	_aSOCIAL SERVICES _9555
650	2	7	_2FVC _aTREATMENT _9613
650	2	7	_9431 _aINTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE _2FVC
651		4	_aNEW ZEALAND _92588
500			_aIncite : The Mental Health Journal of New Zealand 2(2) 2003 : 24-34
650	2	7	_9458 _aPREVENTION _2FVC
773	0		_tIncite : The Mental Health Journal of New Zealand 2(2) 2003 : 24-34
942			_2ddc _cARTICLE
999			_c2137 _d2137