Psychosocial Needs of Women in Domestic Violence Services; Perspectives of Domestic Violence Staff in Ireland

Domestic violence (DV) against women stands as a significant societal issue and public health concern affecting individuals across diverse demographics. Understanding the intricacies of survivors’ experiences and the contextual factors that influence their psychosocial well-being is vital in formulating effective support strategies. This study delves into the often overlooked yet critical realm of psychosocial needs among women who have experienced DV, as told by the professional DV service staff who support them. A sequential mixed-methods approach was utilized, with surveys of need frequencies distributed electronically to DV services across Ireland. Survey sections covered Physical Health, Mental Health, Emotional Health, Social/Relational Health, Cultural Health, Parenting Needs, Education and Employment, Income and Housing and Access to Services. Follow-up in-depth interviews explored preliminary findings. A total of 40 DV service staff completed surveys, with six of these participating in one-to-one interviews. Survey findings showed that DV professionals observe a high number of psychosocial needs spanning several domains amongst their clients. Following a thematic analysis of interview data, five themes, each with three subthemes, were generated. Emotional and Mental Experiences; highlights the impacts of DV and recovery needs at the individual level. Social Connections; explores how surpluses/deficits in relational capital can shape recovery. Structural Entrapments; captures the barriers and negative consequences women in Ireland face when engaging with State social supports. Institutional Responses; records the views of DV professionals on how the judicial, law enforcement and DV services can help or hinder survivors in their recovery. Trauma Longevity; records the consensus among participants that survivors endure an on-going and non-linear recovery from their DV experiences, capturing how meeting their psychosocial needs greatly shapes their trajectories. These themes are conceptualized under an ecological framework (individual, relational, social-structural, societal and chronological levels) of psychosocial needs, delineating the factors that exert influence on whether these are fulfilled. Findings indicate that DV professionals observe a number of complex psychosocial needs amongst their clients, including deficits that are due to inadequate responses from State agencies in Ireland. The implications of these results and themes on survivors’ recovery from DV victimization and trauma are discussed in the context of the literature. Recommendations for policy makers, service providers and individual professionals invested in the recovery of survivors are discussed, with our study concluding with a call for further research of identified issues, particularly in the Irish context.