Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Women Part 2 - Mental Health Effects

Both physical and sexual violence have been linked to a greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes among women. The most prevalent include depression, suicide attempts, post-traumatic stress disorder, other stress and anxiety disorders, sleeping or eating disorders and psychosomatic disorders. Physical and sexual abuse in childhood have also been associated with a host of subsequent risk behaviors, including early sexual activity; alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse; multiple sexual partners; choosing abusive partners later in life; and lower rates of contraceptive and condom use (21,29). Women who report a history of early sexual abuse often report feelings of worthlessness and difficulty distinguishing sexual from affectionate behavior, maintaining appropriate personal boundaries, and refusing unwanted sexual advances. Studies have consistently linked a history of child sexual abuse with a higher risk of experiencing sexual violence later in life. The DASAS team takes this subject on in today's episode. The abuse takes many forms, including: intimate partner violence (sometimes called domestic or family violence, or spousal abuse) which can be physical, sexual or emotional; dating violence; sexual violence (including rape) by strangers, acquaintances or partners; systematic rape during armed conflict; forced prostitution, trafficking or other forms of sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices; dowry-related violence; forced marriage or cohabitation, including forced wife inheritance and ‘wife kidnapping’; femicide and the killing girls or women in the name of ‘honor’; female infanticide and deliberate neglect of girls. If you need resources or help in any way, call our 24 hour hotline at 800-828-2023 or visit www.DASASMI.org. Subscribe for a new episode each week. We publish every Wednesday morning at 8:00am. Subscribe to the weekly email newsletter here or at our website here. Please consider helping us reach more listeners by leaving a written review on Apple Podcasts or where you listen, and by sharing on social media.