More people die by suicide due to domestic abuse than are murdered by a partner.

Government urged to tackle mental health crisis caused by domestic abuse

• Open letter highlights once-in -a-generation opportunity to address long-neglected mental health concerns

• Move comes ahead of imminent publication of mental health and vawg strategies

• Call for funding backed by survivors, bereaved families and over 90 UK charities

In a major intervention before the launch of the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy – due before the government’s upcoming Spending Review – a coalition of charities has moved to ensure ministers commit to finally addressing an often-overlooked yet critical issue when it comes to domestic abuse.

Led by the specialist mental health and campaigning charity Woman’s Trust, which has supported tens of thousands of women to address psychological trauma caused by domestic abuse, campaigners are calling on Health Secretary Wes Streeting - also due to outline his plans to improve the nation’s mental health  - and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to ensure survivors can finally get the counselling and therapy so many have told the government’s own commissioner they so desperately need.

Over 90 organisations and campaigners working across the vawg, mental health and domestic abuse sectors have signed the letter calling for an investment of around £28m to fund community-based specialist and long-term provision.

Mia* from Berkshire was 31 when she met her former partner through mutual friends. Within weeks his violent temper flared and the beating that followed put her in hospital, beginning a decade-long period during which she was raped, threatened and held hostage in her own home. The emotional and psychological scars continued after her relationship ended. She gradually became a shell of her former self; depressed, agoraphobic and scared to go out of the house alone – but it was years before she was offered therapy.

Mia says: “I dread to think about all of the other women in the same situation as me – but with nowhere to go for help and instead being prescribed medication when what they need is specialist counselling and therapy.

“The Health Secretary and the government really needs to start taking the mental health side of abuse, which isn’t talked about nearly enough, seriously. There’s no point in only bringing it up when women have taken their lives – what about all of us who are still here, living with the pain every day? What is he going to do for us?”

Commenting on the need for the letter, Woman’s Trust CEO Heidi Riedel said: “Recent figures have confirmed – once again – that tragically more people take their lives due to domestic abuse than are murdered by a partner or ex-partner. However, this is about more than suicide rates: the psychological impact of domestic abuse is recognised as a critical issue across both the VAWG and the mental health sectors – yet it is not currently being addressed by either corresponding government department.

“Over 80% of people told the Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs that access to long-term counselling and therapy were in their top two needs – however only 4 in 10 people have access to it. Half of all women’s requests for mental health support are linked to domestic abuse. And although more men die by suicide every year, more women attempt suicide. Further, domestic abuse costs the UK economy billions annually – with 1 in 5 women taking time off work because of domestic abuse and 9 in 10 saying it affects their performance at work.

“We know from speaking to survivors that they are despondent at seeing seemingly endless news stories about abuse and violence – while seeing little that offers hope. This is why we are urging the government not to miss this opportunity to support those people who are living and struggling with their mental health every day, through no fault of their own.”

Her comments are supported by Centre for Mental Health Chief Executive Andy Bell: “Domestic abuse is a major cause of mental distress, yet survivors’ needs are poorly understood and insufficiently addressed by public services. Too many women experience severe trauma, and do not get the right support either at the time or later in life.”

Leeds Women’s Aid Chief Executive, Nik Peasgood heads up work to support domestic abuse survivors across West Yorkshire. She adds: “We are fully behind this call being led by our colleagues at Woman’s Trust, who are the leading mental health specialists in the VAWG sector. We help thousands of survivors every year and we’re seeing more and more women who need specialist, long-term counselling to address the abuse they’ve endured. Demand is high, waiting lists are incredibly long, and it compounds the original trauma  - and this pattern is mirrored across the UK.“

Liz Mack, CEO of Advance adds: “There is an overwhelming economic case for community-based mental health support for women and children who are survivors of domestic abuse. Supporting their mental health enables them to rebuild their lives and disrupt intergenerational patterns of harm impacting future communities and families.  We urge the government to prioritise funding of specialist counselling and therapeutic support for the huge numbers of women and girls affected.”

The call is also being backed by bereaved mothers, including Sharon Holland and Phyllis Day, whose daughters died by suicide as a result of domestic abuse.

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