HNN301: Examining IPV, Mental Health, and Violence in Australia

This essay analyzes the multifaceted issues surrounding intimate partner violence (IPV) in Australia, exploring its incidence, various forms, and profound impacts on mental health and overall well-being. The discussion begins by establishing the relationship between violence, trauma, and mental health, highlighting the prevalence of IPV across different demographics and socioeconomic groups. The essay provides statistical data on IPV in Australia and examines its consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse, not only for individuals but also for families and communities. Furthermore, the essay delves into two mental health promotion approaches designed to prevent IPV, emphasizing the importance of attitudes, rights, dignity, and respect. It underscores the nurse's pivotal role in implementing these strategies, advocating for social support and highlighting the need for interventions that address both the immediate and long-term effects of IPV to foster recovery and promote mental well-being. The essay also addresses the economic and social costs associated with domestic violence and the impact on society.

MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION
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Introduction
Violence has a tremendous impact on an individual's mental and physical health (Parsons &
Bergin, 2010). One of the major health as well as welfare issues in Australia is family, sexual
and domestic violence. Men experience greater violence from strangers and at public places.
Women experiences violence greater from their partners. The WHO reveals that violence has an
impact on an individual's mental as well as physical health. IPV is known to have significant
negative mental health outcomes. The aim of the current discussion discuses the incidence of
IPV in Australia and impacts of IPV on mental health and wellbeing of families and individuals
(Copeland-Linder, Lambert & Ialongo, 2010). The purpose of this discussion encompasses two
mental health promotion approaches in preventing IPV and analysing the nurse’s role in one
mental health promotion approaches.
Part A: Relationship between violence, trauma and mental health. The incidence of
IPV in Australia and the potential impacts of IPV on the wellbeing along with mental
health of individuals and families
Violence is witnessed across all ages as well as across demographic and socioeconomic
groups, the most vulnerable groups comprise children and women. The Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare provides data regarding family-related domestic alongside sexual violence.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics ABS (2017b) reveals that 6 Australian women and 1 amongst
16 men are subjected to some form of violence since the age of 15 (Perkins & Graham-Bermann,
2012). Amongst the various types of violence experienced, intimate partner violence (IPV) ranks
the most significant violence affecting women and men, that impacts one in three women. It has
been seen that almost 50% of women living with mental illness have previously has faced to
trauma related to physical or sexual abuse, during childhood or adulthood. Amongst all forms of
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violence, domestic violence has been seen to cause adverse impacts on the psychological and
emotional state of the survivor. Post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, depression,
substance abuse and anxiety and others are severe abuse types. Hence, the different types of
violence consist of sexual, physical, economic, emotional, and psychological that is focused on
children and the elderly.
Violence comprises of behavioral patterns which manipulate, humiliate, intimidate,
isolate, terrorize, frighten, coerce, blame, threaten, injure, hurt, wound someone. Such forms of
violence include physical, abuse of sexual nature, exploitation of emotional nature, economic
and psychological abuse (Rose et al, 2011). Trauma and violence are harmful, costly and
widespread concerns across public health. Individual trauma is defined as an outcome from
series of events, a particular event or events that have physically or emotionally life-threatening
and harmful lasting adverse impact on the individual's functioning as well as his / her social,
physical, mental or spiritual well-being. Trauma has become common with regards to gender,
race, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity or sexual orientation. The impacts of traumatic
occurrences have a heavy burden on individuals, families, and communities. People experiencing
traumatic events will go on through their lives with lasting negative effects, while others will
experience difficulties and experience traumatic stress reactions (Jina & Thomas, 2013). In the
presence of a system of strong support in place with little or no traumatic experience, then the
individual will have many resilient qualities and it might not affect mental health. However,
research depicts that traumatic experiences are associated with chronic physical health conditions
as well as behavioral health. Those who are associated with mental health conditions, substance
use and other risky behaviours are linked directly to traumatic experiences.
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Research has recognised severe life-threatening trauma as being a risk factor for
emergence of mental illnesses that encompasses depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-V) defines a traumatic event
as an action that involves threats in actual nature or threat to physical integrity or serious injury,
which leads to fear, helplessness or horror. The development of mental illness post a traumatic
event is dependent upon several factors and includes the type of trauma, and has the highest
incidence post assaultive violence. Amongst all the types of violence IPV is the most common
type affecting mental illnesses. Domestic violence remains tremendously underreported and
under-recognised from across the entire range of health settings. Thus, violence and trauma are
the leading causes that lead to mental illnesses amongst individuals.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of violence against
women, including sexual, physical and emotional violence, as well as confidential management
of partners. IPV takes place in all conditions of socio-economic, cultural and religious services.
Women carry the global burden of IPV. IPV is quite prevalent in Australia and it has been
estimated that 1 amongst 6 women experience physical or sexual violence by a cohabiting
partner since the age of 15. IPV is also known to be the major cause of illness, disability and
death compared to any other risk factors for women aged 25 years to 44 years of age. In the year
2016 to 2017, approximately 72,000 women, 34,000 children and 9,000 men had sought
homelessness services due to family or domestic violence (Barry, Clarke, Jenkins & Patel, 2013).
Men, approximately 1 in 16 is also known to have experienced physical or sexual violence by a
cohabiting partner since the age of 15 years.
Research studies conducted on the high incidence of IPV on Australians, lead to
evaluation of its potential effects on individuals and families. One of the leading outcomes of
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IPV in Australia is depression. Depression is one of the most common health outcome related to
intimate partner violence. The high importance of depression and its impacts on health is a result
of IPV and its bears a 34.7% burden of the total IPV disease burden. Approximately 27.3% is
attributed to anxiety, 10.7% is attributed to suicide and only 0.6% is attributable to physical
injuries as a result of IPV.
Fedovskiy et al. (2008) research only found an insignificant correlation between IPV and
depression. Other studies reflect the significant relation of IPV with that of depressive
symptoms. Several research indicates the chronicity and severity of violence have been found
associated with depressive symptoms. The mental well-being of individuals significantly
diminishes with higher rates of IPV. The impact of IPV is not confined to individuals but is
spreads across the entire society as well. IPV is never an isolated incident. Children who witness
IPV against one of their parents are at a higher risk of developing behavioural problems. There is
an increasing number of children in Australia who were exposed to violence and these children
have been seen to have higher rates of hostility, anxiety, anger, and mental health instability
(Panter-Brick & Eggerman, 2012). When these children grow up and start their own facilities,
there is widespread hostility amongst their families as well. Male children who witness their
mother being abused by their fathers are at higher risk when they grow up and are more prone to
do the same things to their partners. While few children recover the abuse witnesses, others are
being bound to continue witnessing abuse within their own families. The impact can be seen on
generation, where domestic violence causes family units to crumble over a period of time. But in
spite of dismantling the basic unit of the society, the family and the communities suffer from the
impacts of domestic violence (Spivak et al, 2014). Cost of domestic violence on the entire
society is serious and has a tremendous burden on society.
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The government budget on medical treatment is strained in Australia due to the
increasing number of cases on domestic violence. The medical costs expended in treating injuries
associated with domestic violence is reached its threshold levels. But the greater concern
associated with domestic violence is suffering from chronic conditions such as stress disorders,
depressive symptoms, and health problems as well. Another major concern of domestic violence
is that 60% of such cases include substance abuse (Glied & Frank, 2014). In case IPV and
substance abuse both take place then it becomes more difficult to stop such abuse and cycle. In
domestic violence, there has been an increasing number of cases of homelessness. 50% of
homeless women and children in Australia decided to live on the streets to avoid their abusive
homes. They considered living on the streets better than residing in their abusive homes.
Economic repercussion is another loss of long-term productivity arising from IPV. Thus, the
issue of IPV requires serious and important considerations and steps taken to avoid the same.
Part B: Two mental health promotion approaches to prevent IPV and the role of the
nurse
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health and human rights health
concern. Mental health intervention risks victimization by the treatment of health problems
associated with IPV survivors (Black, 2011). The two mental health promotion approaches for
prevention of IPV has to be focused on improvisation of control and improving the positive
mental health. Implementation of mental health strategies can prevent the ill-effects of IPV and
also assists in improvisation techniques. The principles of mental health promotion ensure that
the mental health service is rendered in a manner supporting recover in mental health consumers.
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The most critical mental health promotion approach is in attitudes and rights and dignity and
respect.
It is a well-established fact that IPV has a tremendously high impact on a women's mental
health. Studies in the last three decades have indicated adverse mental health outcomes
associated with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. There
have been higher associated incidence on thoughts and attempted suicidal rates in women with
IPV. Women experiencing such type of violence required psychological and psychiatric
interventions and those who are exposed to physical and psychological IPV required
psychotropic drugs. Mental health intervention requires that individuals are carefully evaluated
and monitored on their path to progress. Such mental health recovery strategies will enable
individuals to recover from their mental health challenges as well.
Mental health intervention techniques differ for different types of diseases. Though IPV
impacts on the physical health also, there are considerable impacts on the mental health
outcomes. The outcomes associated with mental health are often long-term and influences the
life of the individual and their families. Women are often unable to lead a normal life or go back
to their jobs and start all over again, facing significant mental trauma post IPV. Mental health
recovery approaches in cases of IPV related to depression and PTSD syndromes can be
enhancing the attitudes and rights and instilling in dignity and respect within the individual. The
principles of mental health promotion ensure that the mental health service is rendered in a
manner supporting recover in mental health consumers.
Recovery of mental health practice in IPV cases includes setting the attitudes and rights
of the individuals in a correct manner. It involves listening actively to the cases and learning
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from the survivors. Then acting upon the communication from the individual regarding what is
important for the individual (Machisa, Christofides & Jewkes, 2017). It is known to promote and
protect an individual’s legal, human rights and citizenship. It supports individuals for sustaining
and develop recreational, social, and vocational and occupational activities that can provide
meaning into their lives. Most IPV cases have been seen to experience loss of meanings in their
lives and the absence of people who will listen to them. Hence attention to instill hope in an
individual regarding their future and ability to live in a meaningful life will help them to recover
from their mental illness. Studies have indicated that social support contributes to recovery for
three types of mental disorders. Women experienced in IPV needed social support where they
realized their attitudes and rights contributed to high levels of recovery. High levels of social
support were deemed to be essential and a significant predictor of recovery in IPV cases. Social
support has considerably reduced the risks of re-victimization by partners.
Most IPV cases experience loss of dignity and respect from their lives. Their emotions
and self-confidence are lost owing to the fact that they are unable to cope with the stress from
increasing physical and mental pressure. Recovering from mental illnesses such as depressive
symptoms and PTSD requires that the client is provided with adequate dignity and respect
(Chibber & Krishnan, 2011). The client has to be treated with respect, courteousness and honest
interactions such that they are able to instil back confidence in their individual lives. It involves
valuing their beliefs and cultures. The challenges of discrimination within the society and the
broader community need to be removed. Providing dignity and respect empowers the client and
provides them with the hope to recover from their situation. With restored dignity and respect,
individual suffering from IPV can successfully overcome their past experiences and start on their
lives journey in a normal manner again.
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Nurses have a crucial role to play in the mental health recovery of individuals suffering
from IPV cases. Nurses can foster dignity and spirit. They can pace the rate of recovery in
clients, who have suffered from mental illnesses following IPV. Nurses play the role of
providing care and instilling the guiding principles of mental health recovery. A nurse has the
capability to systematically implement a procedural intervention where they can partner with the
client and develop communication to instill in dignity and respect within the individual. A nurse
can be courteous and sensitive to the individual needs of the client and design intervention
methods after discussing with the client. Clients can confide their feelings and emotions in the
nurses. A nurse can effectively evaluate the client's condition and plan intervention mechanisms
whereby charting a course for recovery of mental health illnesses. Nurses’ acts play a key role
between the healthcare provider and client, diminishing their communication gaps. Nurses’ can
provide appropriate methods of interventions that is well-matched to the client's needs and
demands. Careful planning by a nurse is necessary to attend to an individual client.
Nurses can plan a low-risk intervention strategy in communication with the client that is
focused on past clinical practice. A nurses' intervention will focus on minimizing the impact of
risk factors and oriented towards detection and careful planning of path to intervention. A nurse
can effectively evaluate the client from several levels and track their path to progress. They can
inform quality improvement strategies and report the key outcomes indicating recovery.
Conclusion
Intimate partner violence is one of the leading causes of ill-health amongst Australian
women and children. The impacts from IPV are not limited to the family or individual rather
they extend up to the community as well as the society. Such cases require effective mental
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health treatment and intervention strategies being implemented. A mental health nurse can
carefully plan intervention strategies and then effectively chart the path to recovery of the client.
A mental health nurse can effectively plan for restoring back the dignity and respect of the client
such that they can lead a normal life again.
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