Intimate partner violence among severely mentally ill females

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a social sore point in all countries worldwide. However, this issue is not perceived in the same way in every country. Countries that accept such situations do so in view of varies reasons, including religious beliefs and cultural norms, and it is often regarded as normal practice. Both men and women can become victims of IPV, however, it is more common to hear of females being victims of abuse, especially if made vulnerable by their mental condition. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore whether the presence of Severe Mental Illness (SMI) amongst adult females increases the risk of IPV. This will be undertaken with the following research question. Can the presence of severe mental illness amongst adult females increase the likelihood of intimate partner violence? The PEO components extracted from the above question are: • P_ defines population which in this case is adult females • E_ defines exposure which is the presence of SMI • O_ defines outcome meaning IPV in the present study A literature review was undertaken using 7 studies. Studies were appraised using CASP tools appropriate to the study design and MMAT. These studies were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. It was important that these studies were in English, published in the last 10 years and included only adult females. The main keywords used to generate the best results included, SMI, adult females, IPV, victimisation, psychotic experiences, domestic violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and physical abuse. A list of recommendations for further research, practice, and education has been compiled and presented together with recommendations for dissemination of findings through leaflets, radio, social media together with other platforms. Recommendations include more awareness regarding IPV together with enhanced support systems and guidelines for the staff. More education for staff, general public and possibly a module during the nursing course. Further research is also needed in the local scenario. The findings showed that women suffering from SMI are more often than men victims of IPV. These results came from different countries with different cultures.