Over 11,000 women in Ireland experienced domestic violence while also struggling with substance use in 2020, new research from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has revealed.

Furthermore, at least 48,000 women who used substances in 2020 had experienced some form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse at some point in their lives.

The research was commissioned by the DAVINA project, which is part of SAOL. SAOL is a community-centred initiative that works to improve the lives of women affected by addiction and poverty.

A growing issue observed by SAOL has been the number of women seeking support for domestic abuse and/or violence and it was in response to this that the DAVINA (Domestic Abuse Violence Is Never Acceptable) Project was established. It focuses on the particular needs of women who experience substance use as well as domestic violence.

As well as providing the first estimate of women affected by the duality of hidden domestic violence and personal substance use, the research also explored the challenges faced by affected women.

It found that those who use substances are more likely to experience homelessness, poverty and to have had traumatic life experiences, which in turn can lead to mental health difficulties, shame and stigma. This can make it harder to access support.

For example, the research suggested that more than half of women had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTDS), clinical depression, or both, yet most of these women had not received any mental health treatment.

“Many women who use substances do so to cope with the pain and trauma of the abuse they are suffering. Unfortunately, their abuser often encourages their substance use and uses it as a tool to further control or isolate her.

“The dynamics that exist within these relationships are unique and make it so much more difficult for survivors to access help and support. DAVINA was set up to bridge the gap between addiction and domestic abuse services so that women and their children can access help and support earlier,” explained DAVINA project coordinator, Rachel Fayne.

The researchers recommended the introduction of a policy across Europe that any woman accessing addiction services be screened for domestic abuse and for this data to be reportable, so that more accurate figures can be accessed about the prevalence of this issue. 

“The DAVINA project would like to see it become universal practice for women accessing addiction services to be screened for domestic abuse, not only so that these women can then be offered support but also so that these figures could be recorded. We believe this estimate is just the tip of the iceberg and that the real figure is much higher, if we had access to public data around this issue, we could better advocate for improved service provision,” Ms Fayne said.

According to Prof Catherine Comiskey of TCD’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, who led the research, the estimate of 11,000 women impacted in 2020 is based on best quality data, “but we also know that this is an absolute minimum estimate”.

“The true estimate is likely to be many times higher. The international evidence also tells us that as a result of this violence, women experience challenges with sexual and reproductive health, fear for their children and stigma,” she noted.

The researchers called for government funding to be made available to develop services that meet the unique needs of affected women. As this is an issue that is impacted by health, education, housing and justice, they also pointed out that a more integrated public policy is required.

A report on the research can be viewed here. For more information on the DAVINA project, click here.