Domestic violence, we know, leaves physical and emotional scars. Yet, often, the effects are greater than we think.

Studying 1,052 mothers as part of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a team of researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London in England, the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM), and the University of Montreal followed them for 10 years. Over the decade, the researchers conducted multiple interviews to determine whether the subjects had suffered violence from their spouses and whether they suffered from mental health disorders, as well as factors such as their personal history, and the presence of childhood abuse and economic poverty. Only subjects with no previous history of depression were considered for the study.

So what did the study unveil? More than one third of the women reported suffering violence from their spouses (e.g., being pushed or hit with an object); women who reported abuse had a more extensive history of childhood abuse, abuse of illicit substances, economic poverty, early pregnancy, and an antisocial personality; they were twice as likely to suffer from depression, even when controlling for the impact of childhood abuse; and domestic violence led to a three times higher risk of developing schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms. This risk doubled for women who were also victims of childhood abuse (Ouellet-Morin et al., 2015).

Another study found that just witnessing domestic violence also has long-term mental health ramifications. Examining a nationally representative sample of 22,559 community-dwelling Canadians, using data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, and defining parental domestic violence as “chronic” if it had occurred more than 10 times before the respondent was age 16, researchers from the University of Toronto (U of T), found the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults who had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood was 17.3% compared to 2.3% among those without this childhood adversity (Fuller-Thompson et al., 2016).

What studies like this tell us is that domestic violence, whether experienced or witnessed, has serious and prolonged consequences for our mental health.

Yet, for clinicians, detecting domestic violence is not so simple. For one thing, many women are afraid to disclose or may fear their abusers reactions if they do. They may also feel like they can’t leave, or will be judged or criticized if they choose not to.

Then there is the issue of the best way to help victims of domestic violence. Should they be encouraged to leave right away? What about safety planning? What about treating the corresponding mental health issues like depression and anxiety? What is the best approach?

Clearly, treatment efficacy will depend on a clinician who is educated about domestic violence but also understands the complex nature of it. Moreover, the clinician will need to know how to implement a safety plan, connect the client to community resources, and perhaps most importantly, facilitate the conversation about if and when to leave.

Related Online Continuing Education (CE) Courses:

Domestic Violence: Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course intended to help healthcare professionals maintain a high state of vigilance and to be well prepared with immediate and appropriate responses when abuse is disclosed. Domestic violence, in the form of child abuse and intimate partner violence, remains a pervasive part of contemporary life in the U.S. Its effects are deep and far-reaching. This course will teach clinicians to detect abuse when they see it, screen for the particulars, and respond with definitive assistance in safety planning, community referrals, and individualized treatment plans. There is a special section on the complexity of an abuse victim’s decision about if and when to leave an abuser. This course meets the Domestic Violence license renewal requirement of all Florida licensees. 

Reporting Suspected Child Maltreatment: Legal and Ethical Issues is a 2-hour video continuing education (CE) course that outlines the legal requirements for reporting suspected child neglect and abuse. Many professionals throughout the United States are mandated reporters of suspected child maltreatment. However, the legal requirement to report is often confusing to navigate in relation to other professional and ethical responsibilities. This workshop provides profession-based context to the role of mandated reporter. The course opens with a brief history of mandated reporting and the changes to mandated reporting laws over time. We then discuss who is considered a “mandated reporter,” when a report to Child Protective Services (CPS) is necessary, and the concerns regarding under and over reporting. A detailed discussion highlights the risk factors and indicators of maltreatment and provides specific definitions and examples of the four types of maltreatment (neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse). Mandated reporters explore a framework that can guide their decision in making the “tough call” of whether to file a report to CPS or not, using research findings and practical advice based on real case examples.

Professional Development Resources, a small Florida nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992, is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling, Board of Psychology, Office of School Psychology, Board of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Board of Occupational Therapy, and Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards). Learn more about us.

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.