James Donaldson on Mental Health – New suicide statistics shine a devastating light on how domestic abuse affects mental health

BYMOYA CROCKETT

A new report reflects the horrific impact of domestic abuse on mental health – and campaigners are calling for change .

Content note: the following article contains references to domestic abuse and suicide that readers might find upsetting. 

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On the face of it, it’s a shocking revelation: for the first time, the number of domestic abuse victims dying by suicide has overtaken those dying at the hands of their abusive partner. That’s the finding of a new report by a project tracking deaths related to domestic abuse in England and Wales. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the data shows that police recorded 93 suspected victim suicides following domestic abuse – at least one every four days – compared to 80 “intimate partner homicides”.

Any death due to domestic abuse is one death too many and deserves our grief and rage. But there’s something uniquely harrowing about knowing that so many victims – most of whom are women aged 25-54 – are taking their own lives as a result of the abuse they’ve suffered. Experts are clear that responsibility for these suicides lies in one place, and one place only: with the perpetrators of abuse. “Perpetrators should always be held to account for their abhorrent actions, and this should be no different when a victim has sadly taken their own life,” said Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for domestic abuse.

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This report, by the Home Office-funded Domestic Homicide Project, lays bare “the devastating impact of abuse on women’s mental health”, says Sarika Seshadri, head of research at Women’s Aid. Other studies in recent years have also driven this home, showing that women who suffer domestic abuse are three times more likely to try to take their own life and three times more likely to develop depression and serious mental illness than those who haven’t. In a survey of more than 4,000 victims and survivors by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s office, 83% said counselling and therapy were the forms of support they most wanted in dealing with domestic abuse. And research by Women’s Aid has highlighted the negative impact of structural racism on the mental wellbeing of Black and minoritized survivors of domestic abuse, including when they attempt to access support.

“We know from working with survivors that almost half of those in refuge have experienced depression or suicidal thoughts,” Seshadri tells Stylist. “While the numbers of recorded victim suicides have continued to grow, we need urgent action to ensure the mental health impacts of domestic abuse are fully recognized and women can access the lifesaving support they need to prevent these deaths.” 

We need urgent action to ensure the mental health impacts of domestic abuse are fully recognized

It’s important to note that while the data around domestic abuse-related suicides is appalling, the fact it’s being recorded at all is a sign of progress. The Domestic Homicide Project was only established in 2020 and aims to capture a broad picture of how domestic abuse can result in loss of life. The hope is that experts – including police officers – can then use those learnings to prevent future deaths.

It’s easy to feel disillusioned (to put it mildly) by criminal justice responses to domestic abuse. Many victims are kept waiting for hours after phoning the police to report abuse, while forces up and down the country are currently failing to respond adequately to people worried that their partner has an abusive past. Overall, the number of completed prosecutions and convictions for domestic abuse is in decline – and that’s before we’ve even touched on the high rates of abuse perpetrated by police officers against their partners and former partners. However, academics from the University of Central Lancashire, who co-author the annual Domestic Homicide Project report, say some police forces have taken on a number of their recommendations from previous years. They add that the apparent rise in the number of suicides related to domestic abuse is “likely” due to increased awareness and better recording by police officers – although an overall increase can’t be ruled out.

“There is clearly an appetite, especially amongst policing leaders, to do more to prevent domestic homicides and victim suicides,” said Dr Lis Bates, a reader in interpersonal violence prevention at the University of Central Lancashire. “We urge the police to continue to shine a spotlight on these deaths as there remains a lack of consistency across forces about when and how information is sought and shared about domestic abuse history when there is an unexpected death.”

Laura Farris, minister for victims and safeguarding, said that the government has made “significant progress addressing fatal domestic abuse” – including through the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 – and is “working closely with partners across the criminal justice system to continue to improve our response to these crimes”, with a particular focus on suicides with a background of domestic abuse. The academics behind the report are now calling on the police to work to prosecute more perpetrators for domestic abuse after victim suicides, and for “urgent collective action” from other agencies, such as mental health services. Women’s Aid, meanwhile, is emphasizing the importance of sustainable government funding for specialist domestic abuse services, to remove the “postcode lottery” for survivors.

“It is vitally important to understand that in a lot of cases, abuse from a partner does not end when the relationship ends and can often become worse and even life-threatening for the woman and any children she has,” says Seshadri. “Understanding the impact that this has on a survivor’s mental wellbeing is paramount to ensuring that they are properly supported and empowered to continue striving for justice and a life free from abuse.”

Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org. The UK domestic violence helpline is 0808 2000 247. Alternatively, contact Women’s Aid or Refuge for advice and support

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Images: Getty