Impact of Domestic Violence on Women’s Mental Health

Dr. G.Sarvani

Guest faculty

Dept of Psychology

Andhra University

Abstract

Domestic Violence against women is known to be one of the causes of mental health problems. Gender bias and social injustice is present all over the world. Domestic Violence is experienced by women at home. Earlier women were silent about experience of violence, but now they are being encouraged to come forward to seek help. Researcher discuss about impact of domestic violence on women’s mental health. There are various mental health problems i.e. Depression, Anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and eating disorder. In addition to their physical injuries, women who are victims of domestic violence are also at a greater risk of mental health problems such as suicidal tendency and psychotic symptoms.

Domestic violence is present in almost every society of the world. The term can be classified on various bases. Violence against spouse, children or elderly is few of some commonly encountered cases. There are various kinds of tactics that are adopted by the attacker against the victim. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse or deprivation, economical deprivation/ abuse, etc. are the most common kinds of abuses that are faced by the victims.

Domestic violence is not only a problem of the developing or under developed countries. It is very much prevalent in developed countries also. Domestic violence is a reflection of our pseudo-civilized society. There is no place of violence in the civilized world. But the number of cases that are reported every year raise a high alarm. And this is not the complete picture, as; most of the cases go unregistered or unnoticed in everyday life. This is a very dangerous trend creeping in our society and has to be dealt with iron hands.

Women and children are often the soft targets. In Indian society the situation is really gruesome. A significant number of deaths are taking place on daily basis, as a result of domestic violence only. Illiteracy, economical dependency on men folk and the otherwise male dominated society is some of the attributing factors to the problem. Dowry is one of the leading causes that results in violence against the newly-wed brides. Physically assaulting women, making horrendous remarks and depriving them of basic humanly rights are often showcased in many parts of the country. Similarly, children are also made the target of this inhuman behaviour.

Mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing – it is all about how we think, feel, and behave. The term ‘mental health’ is sometimes used to mean an absence of a mental disorder. Mental health can affect daily life, relationships, and even physical health. Mental health also includes a person’s ability to enjoy life – to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

Research suggests that women are about 40% more likely than men to develop depression. They’re twice as likely to develop PTSD, with about 10% of women developing the condition after a traumatic event, compared to just 4% of men. It’s easy to write off this epidemic of mental illness among women as the result of hormonal issues and genetic gender differences, or even to argue that women are simply more “emotional” than men.

Discrimination, Trauma, and Stressful Life Experiences

Trauma is common among women, with half of all women experiencing some form of trauma during their lives. One in four women have faced an attempted or completed sexual assault, and one in three report being abused by a domestic partner. Trauma is a risk factor for a host of mental illnesses, most notably post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus the challenges of gender discrimination, gendered violence, and mistreatment of women directly work to undermine women’s mental health.

Some women report receiving inadequate or insensitive care in response to trauma, and research suggests this can also play a role in the development of mental illness. For example, some women report being blamed for their own rape or abuse. Others find that street harassment, violence on television, and similar cultural issues compound their pain after a traumatic event.

Sadly, discrimination can increase women’s exposure to stress, and stress is a significant predictor of mental illness. Research has consistently shown that women do more than their fair share of housework and childcare, even when they work full-time. Each of these common challenges are highly stressful, and can conspire to tear down women’s coping skills and self-esteem.

Hormonal Issues

It’s a common misconception that estrogen is a “female” hormone while testosterone is the “male” hormone. Both men and women have each hormone in their bloodstreams, but in different quantities based on age, health, and an assortment of other factors. Some research suggests that hormonal differences between men and women may play a role in mental illness. Women, for example, tend to produce lower quantities of serotonin than men, possibly due to differences in hormone levels. Serotonin deficiency has been implicated in a host of mental health issues, most notably depression and anxiety.

Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting

The physiological changes women face during pregnancy and childbirth truly cannot be overstated. As many as 41% of women suffer from some form of postpartum depression, suggesting that physiological shifts likely play a significant role in mental illness.

The connection isn’t just physiological, though. Cultural factors are also at play. Some women are overwhelmed by the demands of parenting, particularly in the early days. Research has shown that women who have unsupportive partners, traumatic births, who live in poverty, or who face high levels of stress are significantly more likely to develop postpartum depression. This suggests that the challenges commonly faced by women may directly contribute to postpartum mental health issues.

Differences in Reporting

Most people are quite certain that women are more emotional than men, even though research into this issue is anything but clear. Studies found that men are often socialized not to share their emotions, and to view emotional challenges as a form of weakness. It’s likely, then, that men are less likely to seek mental health care than women—a decision that makes women more likely to receive a diagnosis. One in four women will seek treatment for depression at some point, compared to only one in 10 men. Though it’s certainly possible that this difference is entirely accounted for by innate gender differences, it’s much more likely that at least some of the discrepancy can be explained by reporting differences.

Differences in Diagnosis

Research has consistently shown that doctors are more likely to diagnose women with mental illness than they are to apply the same diagnosis to men. Many factors contribute to this challenge. There’s some evidence that men’s mental health symptoms may not fit standard diagnostic criteria. For some men, anger is the result of depression, even though anger is not listed as a diagnostic criteria for depression. Thus a man complaining about anger might not receive a diagnosis, even when his anger conceals other symptoms that make it clear he has depression.

Because doctors are aware that mental illness is more common among women, they may also be more eager to diagnose mental illness. A man who reports intense sadness might be asked about his lifestyle or told to see how he feels in two weeks. A woman is more likely to be told she’s depressed.

There’s a more disheartening side to this as well. Implicit bias is a sort of bias of which a person is not aware. Some research suggests that doctors have an implicit bias in favor of labeling women’s symptoms as emotional, while taking men’s symptoms more seriously. Thus a woman who reports chronic pain to her doctor might be labeled as depressed. A man might be referred to a physical therapist or pain clinic. Of course, doctors aren’t deliberately doing this, and are not even necessarily misdiagnosing their patients. In a world where gender discrimination—and notions that women are more emotional and less rational—still figure prominently, though, these notions can play a role.

Serious in-sighting is required in the matter. The double standards and hypocrisy of the society members is evident in such matters. Many times, the abuser is either psychotic in behaviour or requires psychological counselling for this errant behaviour. But generally domestic violence is a result of cumulative irresponsible behaviour demonstrated by a section of the society. Not only the abuser is the main culprit but those who are allowing it to happen and behave like a mute spectator are the partners of the crime. Recently, in India, to cope with the situation, a campaign, called ‘bell bajao’ was launched. The main motive of the campaign was to motivate the individuals of the society to raise their voice against the domestic violence happening in home and around. The campaign was a big hit and successfully managed to draw the attention of crowds towards this issue.

Serious in-sighting is required in the matter. The double standards and hypocrisy of the society members is evident in such matters. Many times, the abuser is either psychotic in behaviour or requires psychological counselling for this errant behaviour. But generally domestic violence is a result of cumulative irresponsible behaviour demonstrated by a section of the society. Not only the abuser is the main culprit but those who are allowing it to happen and behave like a mute spectator are the partners of the crime. Recently, in India, to cope with the situation, a campaign, called ‘bell bajao’ was launched. The main motive of the campaign was to motivate the individuals of the society to raise their voice against the domestic violence happening in home and around. The campaign was a big hit and successfully managed to draw the attention of crowds towards this issue.

Government has also made and enforced domestic violence act. The rules and regulations have been introduced in section 498-A of Indian Penal Code. Law gives an effective shelter and deals strictly with the culprits. But making a law is not sufficient. People will have to awake and arise. They have to be told about their rights and duties. Every human being deserves the basic honour and respect. No one is entitled to take law in his hands. Besides, the law enforcement, domestic violence have deeper roots. It is the mentality of the society that covets an overhauling. Society is in-turn nothing but the constitution of individuals. Every individual should make the necessary amendments and the society will change. It is the high time to raise voice against the injustice happening to self and others. Domestic violence has no place in the modern society and should be strongly dealt with.

References:

• Ball, J. (2013, May 22). Women 40% more likely than men to develop mental illness, study finds. Retrievedfrom http://www.theguardian.com%2Fsociety%2F2013%2Fmay%2F22%2Fwomen-.Louise Howard, Gene Feder, Roxanne Agnew-Davies(2013) Domestic Violence and Mental Health RCPsych Publications.
• Anita Riecher-Rössler, Claudia García-Moreno(2013) Violence Against Women and Mental Health, Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.
• Carole Warshaw Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health  Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence.