Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40418748›Full record

ArticleWomen's health (London, England)

The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis.

Bridget Steele, Priya Shastri, Catherine Moses, Elizabeth Tremblay, Monique Arcenal, Patricia O'Campo, Robin Mason, Janice Du Mont, Maria Hujbregts, Amanda Sim and 1 more

Abstract read
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Article in Women's health (London, England). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Bridget SteeleDepartment of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2028-558X
Priya ShastriWoman Abuse Council of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Catherine MosesWoman Abuse Council of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Elizabeth TremblayWoman Abuse Council of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Monique ArcenalWoman Abuse Council of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Patricia O'CampoDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Robin MasonDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Janice Du MontDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Maria HujbregtsDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Amanda SimMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Alexa R YakubovichMAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4216-4305

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundViolence against women (VAW) is a pervasive public health problem in Canada with detrimental impacts on the mental health of survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the incidence and severity of VAW, deterioration in population level mental health and well-being, and exacerbated barriers to accessing health and social services. People who were already vulnerable to mental illness or people experiencing marginalization across social factors experienced even greater challenges with their mental health.

objectivesWe aimed to understand the mental health of VAW survivors accessing services during the pandemic and how experiences differed across diverse life histories and sociodemographic factors.

designWe conducted interviews from April to September 2021, with 10 adult women who had accessed at least one VAW service in the Greater Toronto Area since March 11, 2020. These data were collected as part of a community-based study on the processes, experiences, and outcomes of adapting VAW programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were sampled through staff contacts at VAW organizations to represent a diverse cross-section of sociodemographic factors and types of services accessed.

methodsWe used narrative thematic analysis to analyze our interview data and identified how life histories and sociodemographic factors intersected with themes about their mental health.

resultsThe research team identified four narrative themes pertaining to survivor mental health: (1) new and exacerbated anxiety, depression, and substance use, (2) feelings of hopelessness and mental exhaustion, (3) shame and low self-esteem, and (4) resiliency. Survivor's experiences across these themes differed based on personal factors and life histories (e.g. being a newcomer, being a mother, experiences of childhood trauma and abuse, living with a disability, and socioeconomic status).

conclusionDuring the pandemic, survivors experienced greater mental health needs and at the same time encountered greater challenges in accessing support, which had significant consequences for their mental well-being. Services that support VAW survivors (as essential services) require increased funding and resources to offer effective, accessible, and timely support that improves the lives of survivors. This support must consider survivors' unique needs based on personal factors and life histories during and beyond public health emergencies.

Indexed as

Battered WomenCOVID-19Mental HealthSurvivorsAdultCanadaFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMiddle AgedNarrationPandemicsQualitative ResearchSARS-CoV-2mental healthpandemicservicessurvivorviolence against women

Identifiers

PMID40418748
PMCPMC12106983

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.