Do you ever ask yourself how something hiding in plain view has been overlooked for so long? From my work at Agenda Alliance I see the impact of domestic abuse on too many women’s lives, so was disturbed but not surprised that our new briefing paper Underexamined and Underreported confirmed its mental health toll in hard data. It identified a link between domestic abuse by a partner and women trying to take their own life, having suicidal thoughts or self-harming.
Until recently this connection had not been measured. Whilst uncounted, it has been too easy to avoid tackling it with a systemic approach.
I’ve worked in the women’s and girls’ sector for over a decade and am appalled by headline figures from City University’s analysis which show that:
- Women who have experienced abuse from a partner are THREE times more likely to have made a suicide attempt in the past year, compared to those who have not experienced abuse.
- Poverty puts women especially at risk. Around half of women (47%) who are unemployed, or are unable to work due to sickness or disability, have experienced domestic abuse from a partner.
The government has committed to a crackdown on all forms of abuse, including putting coercive control on an equal footing with physical abuse. It’s a step in the right direction - but there is further to go.
In 95% of cases of abuse by a partner, there is economic abuse. This hits the poorest hardest. The way Universal Credit payments are made (to a couple rather than individuals, unless specifically requested) has been found to inadvertently serve as an open invitation to an abuser to get their hands on money intended for the whole household. Women are being trapped in harmful situations.
Samantha Billingham of Survivors of Domestic Abuse (SODA) told us, “I felt everything would be better without me. No one should ever be driven to that. Economic abuse is coercive control, coercive control is domestic abuse.”
As Domestic Abuse Commissioner and previous Mumsnet guest blogger Nicole Jacobs highlighted, the cost-of-living crisis is making things even worse. The stories we hear from women we work with and our charity members providing refuge and specialist advice are heartbreaking. Firstly, domestic abuse survivors with children were trapped by the pandemic, now they’re trapped by the terror of putting food on the table.
To gather these groundbreaking new statistics, experts at City University analysed the most detailed mental health survey (The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey) of 7,000 people. Through meticulous examination, Sally McManus and team joined the dots between suicidal distress and domestic abuse in all its forms: emotional, physical, sexual and economic.
It’s important to be clear: the recent findings show that domestic abuse by a partner can act as a precursor to suicidality. Rarely does only one factor lead to a suicide attempt.
For Steph, years of abuse remain with her; at times, things reached crisis point. She is 32 years old now, with two children, and she is getting specialist help for complex PTSD. When younger, she lived with a partner who controlled every aspect of her life: “He even tried to control me ending my life. I felt like it wasn’t my life anymore. He laughed when he found I had tried to kill myself and said if I wanted to do it properly, he would do it. It was his way of saying: ‘You’re my property now and I’m not even allowing you to do that to yourself.’”
The women we work with are at the sharpest end of inequality. As well as facing physical, emotional and financial danger at home (though let’s not comfort ourselves, home is often temporary; a hostel, refuge or B&B), most are dealing with a harmful combination of pre-existing mental health problems, addiction and educational disadvantage. A significant number experience racism throughout their lives and many face stigma and discrimination when they look for support.
Distrust of services, such as social services, which should be a trusted safety net, is high. At Agenda Alliance, we are determined to end this cycle of trauma and harm – so every woman can thrive.
For positive change, we must see:
- Training of public sector staff, including midwives, GPs, Jobcentre and Citizens Advice teams to understand the links between domestic abuse and suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.
- Routine, sensitive enquiries must be made by health, welfare and social care professionals about a woman’s personal safety.
- Changes to Universal Credit. Household payments must be made separately to individuals by default.
- Properly funded support. After years of cuts, improved funding for specialist advocates, helplines, refuges and support networks is vital.
With domestic abuse and mental health problems at epidemic levels, actions not speeches are required to save women’s lives. Now.
If you have any questions about the research or the work Agenda Alliance does please leave them below. Jess will be returning to the post on 28th April, 1-2pm to answer questions.
Twitter: @Agenda_alliance
Website: https://www.agendaalliance.org/
Read the briefing paper about domestic abuse by a partner and suicidality here.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
For information and support on domestic abuse, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit the website.
Find details of more organisations offering support on domestic violence here.
