Changes in Mental Health, Emotional Distress, and Substance Use Affecting Women Experiencing Violence and Their Service Providers during COVID-19 in a U.S. Southern State

April Schweinhart (), Camila Aramburú, Rachel Bauer, Ashley Simons-Rudolph, Katharine Atwood and Winnie Kavulani Luseno
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April Schweinhart: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Camila Aramburú: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Rachel Bauer: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Ashley Simons-Rudolph: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Katharine Atwood: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Winnie Kavulani Luseno: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 350, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many unintended consequences of mandated safety precautions, including increased perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), increases in substance use, and worsening mental health conditions. We conducted a repeated, cross-sectional survey of survivors of IPV, a longitudinal survey of service providers working in an IPV shelter, and interviews with both. We conducted surveys at the beginning of the pandemic and nearly half a year later to assess mental health and, for clients, substance use. Results showed that two small samples of survivors living in the shelter in 2020 and 2021 experienced both mental health decline and increased use of substances. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews suggest that COVID-19-related restrictions mirrored survivors’ experiences of power and control in violent relationships. Further, IPV service providers—essential workers during COVID-19—experienced stress associated with reports of burnout and mental fatigue. This study suggests that community-based organizations can help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on survivors of IPV but should avoid adding additional work for staff as service providers experienced mental and emotional stress.

Keywords: intimate partner violence; mental health; substance use; COVID-19; power and control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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