Addressing the increase in domestic violence during the pandemic

Domestic violence is a trigger for mental health problems

Drafting

SOM Salud Mental 360

As part of a series of online meetings on mental health and COVID-19, we discussed the situation of people who suffer different types of domestic violence. The webinar moderator, Anna Huguet Miguel , a psychologist at the Sant Joan de Déu Terres de Lleida Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center , introduced the topic by defining domestic violence as any type of violence that occurs between family members, usually directed at the most vulnerable members (women, the elderly, and children). According to data from the World Health Organization, it is estimated that one in four women has suffered, is suffering, or will suffer some form of violence during their lifetime, and that one in three children also suffers violence at the hands of one of their caregivers. The moderator also cited various studies and data sources that highlight the importance of addressing this issue, which causes suffering and death every year in countries around the world. Among them, the data from the ANAR Foundation stood out, which since March 23, 2020, has handled 475 requests for help from all over the country, through its help lines, as well as the data from the Ministry of Equality. Spain reports that since the start of the lockdown, they have received 19,000 requests for help from services for victims of gender violence.

Hidden Suffering: Domestic Violence

Webinar

Dr. Roser Cirici Amell (a clinical psychologist at Parc de Salut Mar ) participated as an expert in the online meeting. Her presentation focused on the different types of gender-based violence and how it particularly affects women with mental health problems. Dr. Cirici emphasized the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into healthcare, including mental health care, and the importance of exploring the root causes of the suffering experienced by women seeking help with certain symptoms. In the words of the clinical psychologist, "experiencing violence is a trigger for any type of mental and even physical pathology." She also addressed the causes of this violence , highlighting the asymmetrical relationship between men and women and the existing social inequality that favors some roles over others. The psychologist also emphasized the stigma surrounding women with mental disorders, as well as other factors of discrimination.

Mar Álvarez , a psychiatrist with theTEVI (Witnesses to Domestic Violence) program at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center of Cornellà de Llobregat, part of the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona , was another expert participating in the meeting. She began her presentation by explaining that the TEVI program was created to detect situations of domestic violence and offer those who suffer from it a therapeutic approach that allows them to overcome the psychopathological problems caused or aggravated by exposure to violence, as well as to recover the relationship dynamics disrupted by it. TEVI is the only program integrated into the public child and adolescent mental health network in Spain. She later emphasized that witnessing violence was not considered abuse until 2011. Álvarez then provided some data on the impact of domestic violence on children:

Affected by post-traumatic stress disorder
Higher likelihood of being diagnosed with asthma
Sleep disturbance
Impairment of memory, learning, and development
Obesity, somatization, etc.

Another point to highlight from the expert is the observation that in these months of the pandemic, the number of women and children who have suffered violence has increased, and a fact that should make us reflect is that children who have suffered abuse are more likely, in adulthood, to perpetrate or suffer violence.

To conclude her presentation, the psychiatrist unveiled an audiovisual material aimed at children, which is part of a European project they are involved in, called SAVE .

The third expert participating in the online meeting was Mireia Milián Ollé , a social worker, psychologist, and advisor for the Families and Children Program at Caritas Barcelona . In her presentation, she discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown on the detection of different types of domestic violence and how Caritas Barcelona has observed an increase in this violence in some of its projects, especially among minors. Milián discussed the internal and external factors that can cause violence and also emphasized that different organizations must update their detection mechanisms to respond to this new context, where the lack of in-person interaction makes it more difficult to identify different types of domestic violence. The psychologist and social worker believes this is a future challenge, as is the need for increased networking. In her presentation, she also explained how her organization has adopted different working methodologies, such as a 24-hour helpline, video calls, and the creation of virtual spaces for meetings and training, among others.