Domestic Abuse Victims Twice at Risk of Long-term Illnesses

Women survivors of domestic abuse are at double the risk of developing long-term illnesses that cause widespread bodily pain and extreme tiredness, a new study suggests.

Women who have suffered domestic abuse are twice at risk of contracting long-term illnesses which cause extensive pain and acute exhaustion, reports a new study.

Published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, the research from Universities of Birmingham and Warwick in the UK shows that women who have experienced domestic abuse are almost twice as likely to develop fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) than those who have not.

Shouting, Even Criticising a Partner is Domestic Abuse: UK Court
The Supreme Court in Britain has ruled that criticising and shouting at partner and not giving them money constitutes as domestic violence.

‘Survivors of domestic abuse can experience immense physiological and psychological stress. ’

Fibromyalgia causes pain all over the body, while CFS is an illness with a wide range of symptoms, most common of which is extreme tiredness. They are both long-term conditions.

"We have been aware that domestic abuse has significant negative effects for victims and their children. This and other related work by our team showing strong associations with several diseases suggests that the costs of abuse are even greater than understood previously," said Indian-origin researcher and study co-author Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay from the University of Birmingham.

"The higher incidence of long-term illnesses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, for abused women implies the existence of an additional hidden cost to society that we need to understand better," Bandyopadhyay added.

Psychological Domestic Abuse More Damaging for Child's Well-being
A child's well-being is damaged when exposed to high levels of psychological abuse like name-calling, intimidation, isolation, manipulation and control.

The study, examined the general practitioner (GP) records dating between 1995 and 2017 of 18,547 women who had suffered domestic abuse, compared to 74,188 who had not.

They found the risk of developing fibromyalgia and CFS in women who have experienced domestic abuse was twice the rate of those who had no recorded experience by their GP, after taking into account factors which may influence the association.

Abuse Related Injury More Likely When Kid is with Male Caregiver: Study
In the vast majority of child abuse, neglect cases, a male caregiver was responsible compared to a female caregiver, finds a new study.

The incidence rate ratio for developing fibromyalgia was 1.73 (1.36-2.22). The incidence rate ratio of developing CFS was 1.91 (1.11-3.33)

It comes after a previous study led by the University of Birmingham showed that UK domestic abuse victims are three times more likely to develop severe mental illnesses.

First Time Appalling Revelation of the Extent Of Abused Women Across Britain
The number of women and children being driven out of their homes across Britain owing to vicious relationships has been revealed for the first time ever.

"Recent UK estimates suggest that 27.1 per cent of women have experienced some form of domestic abuse, with a large proportion of these cases expected to be women who have suffered violence at the hands of an intimate partner," said study researcher Joht Singh Chandan.

"Considering the prevalence of domestic abuse, and the fact that patients experiencing fibromyalgia and CFS often face delays in diagnosis due to a limited understanding generally of how these conditions are caused, it is important for clinicians to bear in mind that women who have survived abuse are at a greater risk of these conditions," Chandan added.

--IANS

bu/bc

Source-IANS