VISION Policy Briefing: Domestic violence and abuse and mental and physical health

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is highly prevalent. An estimated 2.3 million adults in England and Wales (4.8%) experienced domestic abuse in the past 12 months. More women than men experience DVA, and women experience more repeated abuse, more physical, sexual, and emotional violence and coercive control, more injuries, and greater fear. DVA has severe and long-lasting physical and mental health consequences. The Violence, Health, and Society (VISION) consortium investigates how DVA is related to health. The VISION studies highlighted in this policy briefing show:

• DVA affects the physical and mental health of victim-survivors.
• About half of people who attempted suicide in the past year had experienced violence from a partner at some point in their life, and one in four experienced violence from a partner in the preceding year.
• The type of intimate partner relationship and the type of violence and abuse affects the nature and level of physical and mental health consequences.
• People who use violence against their partners also tend to have worse mental health, and mental health services present an opportunity for intervention with this group.