Study To Help Women Affected By Domestic Violence

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 11 Mar 2011 - 3:00 PST email to a friend � printer friendly � opinions �

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A pilot study to devise ways to empower women affected by domestic violence across Europe being carried out by a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, begins this week.

Professor Shula Ramon at the University's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work is leading the Empowering Women and Providers: Domestic Violence and Mental Health project, which has just received European Union funding.

The project arose because an earlier pilot project highlighted the fact that mental health practitioners in Athens and Warsaw did not feel confident about working with women who were impacted by domestic violence.

"We found that they were afraid to touch the subject and the problem is that they refer the women on to other organisations and they just end up coming back to them again," said Professor Ramon.

As a result of this finding, Professor Ramon gathered partners from Athens, Warsaw, Slovenia and Italy to take part in a new two year pilot project which aims to help women affected by domestic violence by focusing on empowerment and resilience and encouraging them to build a life outside domestic violence.

In parallel, training will be provided for mental health providers so that they become skilled in dealing with women who face this scenario, and there will be a module to train some of the women involved as trainers to help other women affected by domestic violence.

"This is a European problem," said Professor Ramon. "We assume that around a quarter of the population and in some countries, half the population is affected. In all countries, it brings an element of shame and impacts on women, children and men."

The aim is to develop the pilot studies so that they can be rolled out nationally and eventually, across Europe.

Project partners are:

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, UK

Association against violence communication, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Asti mental health department, Italy

Epapsy, Athens, Greece

Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Health Psychology, University of Turin, Italy

Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland

Ozara Life Quality Association, Mirabor, Slovenia

Welwyn Women Refuge, Welwyn, UK

Sources: Hertfordshire University, AlphaGalileo Foundation.

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