Episode 4: Mental Health

In this episode, we explore what life looks like for survivors of coercive control beyond their experiences of abuse. We’ll be discussing some common experiences and challenges survivors face as they move on from situations of coercive control; factors that can support or hinder a survivor's journey towards healing and recovery; and think about how we can better support survivors beyond the immediate crisis phase. To help us we welcome special guest Dee-Anne Hardy. Dee-Anne is a survivor author and founder of the Inner Glow Revival project which provides resources on how survivors can rebuild after trauma and abuse. To find out more about the Inner Glow Revival Project click here. You can click the links below to access some of the resources we talk about in this episode, as well as some additional resources from our guest: Books: Dee-Anne Hardy. Alive Again: Positive stories about life beyond trauma. ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Again-Positive-Stories-Beyond-ebook/dp/B0BSR8QDS8⁠  News Articles: Space to grow: wilderness therapy could help abuse survivors: ⁠https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/20/green-spaces-help-abuse-survivors-essex-university#:~:text=Much%20of%20the%20work%20is,therapy%20can%20help%20mental%20health⁠.  Academic Papers: Carman, M.J., Kay-Lambkin, F. & Burgman, I. Long-Term Recovery from Intimate Partner Violence: Definitions by Australian Women. J Fam Viol 38, 747–760 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00389-3    Paphitis SA, Bentley A, Asher L, Osrin D, Oram S. Improving the mental health of women intimate partner violence survivors: Findings from a realist review of psychosocial interventions. PLoS One. 2022 Mar 17;17(3):e0264845. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264845. PMID: 35299229; https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0264845  Li Q. Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environ Health Prev Med. 2010 Jan;15(1):9-17. doi: 10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3.

In this episode, we discuss the impact of coercive control on mental health. We explore how and why coercive control impacts mental health, as well as what resources are available for supporting the mental health recovery of survivors of coercive control.   To help us we welcome special guest Prof. Louise Howard. Louise is Professor Emerita in Women’s Mental Health at King’s College London. Her research has focused on violence, abuse and mental health as well as perinatal mental health. To find out more about Louise’s work click here. You can click the links below to access some of the resources we talk about in this episode, as well as some additional resources from our guest: Resources: LARA VP - A resource to help mental health professionals identify and respond to Domestic Violence and Abuse: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/mental-health-and-psychological-sciences/research/lara-vp-download-form Books: Bessel van der Kolk. The Body keeps the score: ⁠https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score⁠ Evan Starks. Coercive Control. How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life: ⁠https://global.oup.com/academic/product/coercive-control-9780197639986?cc=us&lang=en&⁠  Herman J. Trauma and Recovery: ⁠https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-30136-000 Academic Papers: Dokkedahl, S.B., Kirubakaran, R., Bech-Hansen, D. et al. The psychological subtype of intimate partner violence and its effect on mental health: a systematic review with meta-analyses. Syst Rev 11, 163 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02025-z Keynejad, R., Hanlon, C., Howard, L. (2020). Psychological interventions for common mental disorders in women experiencing intimate partner violence in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 7, Issue 2, 173 – 190 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30510-3/fulltext  Oram S et al. Lancet Psychiatry Commission on intimate partner violence and mental health: advancing mental health services, research, and policy. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;9(6):487-524. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00008-6. The main systematic review we discuss during the episode: Lohmann, S., Cowlishaw, S., Ney, L., O’Donnell, M., & Felmingham, K. (2024). The Trauma and Mental Health Impacts of Coercive Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(1), 630-647. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231162972

In this episode we take a closer look at the link between economic abuse and coercive control. We’ll explore how wealth, finances, work and resources can be used as a means of perpetrating coercive control, as well as discussing resources for survivors of economic abuse to seek help and access support.  To help us we welcome special guest Nicola Sharp-Jeffs. Nicola is the Founder and CEO of the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), which is the only charity in the UK which focuses specifically on raising awareness of economic abuse. To find out more about SEA click here. You can click the links below to access some of the resources we talk about in this episode, as well as some additional resources from our guest: Resources: Into Plain Sight Report by SEA: ⁠https://survivingeconomicabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/P743-SEA-In-Plain-Sight-report_V3.pdf⁠  HSBC’s financial and domestic abuse support resources: ⁠https://www.h  sbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/financial-abuse/⁠  Barclays Help with Economic Abuse resource page: ⁠https://www.barclays.co.uk/forms/financial-abuse/help/⁠  News Articles: AVIVA: Two in five Brits have suffered economic or financial abuse https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2023/01/two-in-five-brits-claim-to-have-suffered-economic-or-financial-abuse/  Academic papers: Adams, A. E., Sullivan, C. M., Bybee, D., & Greeson, M. R. (2008). Development of the Scale of Economic Abuse. Violence Against Women, 14(5), 563-588. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801208315529 Green, J., Yamawaki, N., Wang, A.NY. et al. What Matters When Examining Attitudes of Economic Abuse? Gender and Student Status as Predictors of Blaming, Minimizing, and Excusing Economic Abuse. J Fam Econ Iss 44, 536–549 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-022-09859-8 Rachel J. Voth Schrag, Sarah R. Robinson & Kristen Ravi (2019) Understanding Pathways within Intimate Partner Violence: Economic Abuse, Economic Hardship, and Mental Health, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 28:2, 222-242. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10834-022-09859-8

In this episode, we explore the link between technology and coercive control. We discuss how technology can be used as both a tool to perpetrate coercive control, as well as a resource for survivors of abuse to seek help and access support.  To help us we welcome our special guest Dr Leonie Tanczer. Leonie is an Associate Professor in International Security and Emerging Technologies at University College London’s Department of Computer Science. Her research addresses the interplay between gender, technology and abuse. To find out more about her work click ⁠here⁠. You can click the links below to access some of the resources we talk about in this episode, as well as some additional resources from our guest: Resources: The Refuge Chatbot: https://refuge.org.uk/news/72-of-refuge-service-users-identify-experiencing-tech-abuse/ Shodan: https://www.shodan.io/ The Keep App: The keep app https://www.thekeepapp.com/login Bright Sky App: Bright sky app https://www.hestia.org/brightsky Refuge resources on tech safety: https://refugetechsafety.org/  e-Safety for women: https://www.esafety.gov.au/women  Clinic to End Tech Abuse: https://www.ceta.tech.cornell.edu/  Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment of Violence Against Women and Girls Report: https://www.vkpp.org.uk/publications/publications-and-reports/reports/strategic-threat-and-risk-assessment-of-violence-against-women-and-girls/  Sign up to the Gender and Tech monthly newsletter here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/computer-science/research/research-groups/gender-and-tech Books: Technology and Domestic and Family Violence: ⁠https://www.routledge.com/Technology-and-Domestic-and-Family-Violence-Victimisation-Perpetration/Harris-Woodlock/p/book/9780367521431⁠  The Palgrave Handbook of Gendered Violence and Technology: ⁠https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-83734-1⁠  News articles: The first UK prosecution for stalking using a smart device: ⁠https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/jealous-businessman-spied-ex-partner-14640719⁠ Digital hashing used by companies to tackle revenge porn:⁠ https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/sex/a42176939/bumble-tiktok-stopncii-non-consensual-intimate-image-abuse/⁠ Academic Papers: Tanczer, L. M., López-Neira, I., & Parkin, S. (2021). ‘I feel like we’re really behind the game’: perspectives of the United Kingdom’s intimate partner violence support sector on the rise of technology-facilitated abuse. Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 5(3), 431-450. Retrieved Jan 19, 2024, from ⁠https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021X16290304343529⁠

In our first episode, we unpack what coercive control actually is, how we can really understand it, and why it matters.  To help us we welcome our special guest Dr Lindsay Kelland. Lindsay is a feminist philosopher based in the Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics, Rhodes University (South Africa) where her research covers gender, sexualities, and sexual violence. To find out more about Lindsay’s work click here. We also hear from members of the VAMHN Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) and our LEAG Coordinator Lisa Ward. To find out more about the VAMHN LEAG click here. You can click the links below to access some of the resources we talk about in this episode, as well as some additional resources from our guest: Resources:  The paper we discuss in the episode containing the 13-item subscale on coercive control: Dutton, Mary Ann., Goodman, L., Schmidt, R.J. (2006). Development and Validation of a Coercive Control Measure for Intimate Partner Violence: Final Technical Report. Click here to access: ⁠https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/214438.pdf⁠  Books: Evan Stark (2012) Looking Beyond Domestic Violence: Policing Coercive Control, Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations, 12:2, 199-217, ⁠DOI: 10.1080/15332586.2012.725016 Academic Papers: Anderson, K. L. (2009). Gendering Coercive Control. Violence Against Women, 15(12), 1444-1457. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801209346837 Beck, C.J.A. and Raghavan, C. (2010), Intimate Partner Abuse Screening In Custody Mediation: The Importance Of Assessing Coercive Control. Family Court Review, 48: 555-565. Click here to access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-1617.2010.01329.x  Crossman, K. A., Hardesty, J. L., & Raffaelli, M. (2016). “He Could Scare Me Without Laying a Hand on Me”: Mothers’ Experiences of Nonviolent Coercive Control During Marriage and After Separation. Violence Against Women, 22(4), 454-473. Click here to access: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1077801215604744  Hardesty, J.L., Crossman, K.A., Haselschwerdt, M.L., Raffaelli, M., Ogolsky, B.G. and Johnson, M.P. (2015), Toward a Standard Approach to Operationalizing Coercive Control and Classifying Violence Types. Fam Relat, 77: 833-843. Click here to access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12201 Myhill, A., & Hohl, K. (2019). The “Golden Thread”: Coercive Control and Risk Assessment for Domestic Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34(21-22), 4477-4497. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516675464 Stark, E., & Hester, M. (2019). Coercive Control: Update and Review. Violence Against Women, 25(1), 81-104. Click here to access: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077801218816191  Tanha, M., Beck, C. J. A., Figueredo, A. J., & Raghavan, C. (2010). Sex Differences in Intimate Partner Violence and the Use of Coercive Control as a Motivational Factor for Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(10), 1836-1854. Click here to access: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260509354501