Raped women have more mental health problems – 08/03/2023 – Equilibrium

Studies and experts point out that women victims of violence are at greater risk of developing mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. There is robust evidence of the impact of violence on women’s mental health and scientific studies indicate that mental health services play a more prominent role in the prevention and treatment of cases of violence.

A review of studies published in 2018 by UnB (University of Brasília) points out that abused women spend more days in bed than those who did not suffer violence and demonstrates how cases of aggression are associated with various mental disorders. The research also highlights the central role of mental health professionals in combating violence and argues that public policies aimed at women include professionals in the area.

For Valeska Zanello, professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology at UnB (University of Brasília) and one of the authors of the study, the predominantly “biologicist” understanding of mental health erases the importance that social issues, such as gender violence, have in the development of illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

“Professionals in the area need to listen more and think about the participation of violence in the formation of some symptoms”, says Zanello.

In the country, all forms of violence against women increased in 2022 according to data from the survey “Visible and Invisible: The Victimization of Women in Brazil”. The survey was carried out between January 9 and 13, 2023 by Datafolha at the request of the Brazilian Public Security Forum. 2017 people from 126 municipalities participated.

The research pointed out that 28.9% of Brazilian women suffered some type of violence in 2022. Most of the women who were attacked are black (65.6%), aged between 16 and 24 years old (30.3%). Most cases (53.8%) occurred at home and 31.3% of the aggressors were ex-partners. There are 76.5% of those who highlighted the application of more severe punishment as a relevant point to curb violence and 72.4% of those who mentioned that it was important to have “someone to talk to, like a psychologist or other specialist in mental health”.

Zanello points out that the growth of violence against women in the country is a risk factor for the worsening mental health of victims. “The causality is not direct, but violence brings and greatly worsens the suffering of those who suffer it”, she says.

A study published in 2017 by foreign researchers in the scientific journal The Lancet Psychiatry points out that violence against women also needs to be perceived as a mental health issue and be properly treated by professionals in the area, as they can play an important preventive role.

The study highlights the greater risk of developing mental disorders among women who have been victims of violence. The research also highlights the importance of mental health professionals learning how to treat cases without blaming victims or intensifying conditions of vulnerability, often associated with economic and gender issues.

Another study carried out in 2010 by researchers at the University of Kentucky points out that there is robust evidence in the academic literature that violence against women worsens the mental health of victims.

The study highlights that women who have suffered violence from partners have more cases of anxiety and depression than women who have not been abused. In the case of sexual violence, many victims have symptoms such as fear, agitation and social withdrawal. In these cases, what is most often diagnosed is post-traumatic stress disorder.

As for the effects of psychological violence, the researchers point out that depression was the most studied variable until the moment the research was carried out, with evidence of its relationship with cases of aggression. They also found “mixed results for the impact of psychological abuse on self-esteem” and that symptoms such as guilt, shame and stress needed to be further investigated.

Ana Paula Guljor, psychiatrist and president of Abrasme (Brazilian Association of Mental Health), states that violence should be treated as a collective issue to be addressed by public policies that take into account mental health and other issues, such as autonomy and independence. woman’s economy.

The relationship between violence and mental illness is also noticeable in UFPB (Federal University of Paraíba) students, professors, employees and outsourced workers assisted by the CoMu (Committee for Policies for the Prevention and Confrontation of Violence against Women at UFPB). According to Lis Lemos, coordinator of the Committee, it is common to observe in students who are victims of violence a decrease in academic performance, low participation in extension and research projects and an increase in absence from classes.

According to Lemos, 38% of the women assisted by the Committee between January 2021 and November 2022 claimed to be under psychological or psychiatric follow-up, 26% used medication and 4.7% thought about suicide or tried to kill themselves. Committee data reveal that, for the same period, 97.8% of women assisted at the university suffered more than one type of violence. Psychological violence had the highest incidence, occurring in 91% of cases.