Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, and Intimate Partner Homicide: Perceptions of Black Communities

Abstract This article explores the perceptions of Black communities on the intersection between intimate partner violence, mental health, and intimate partner homicide. Black women face unique circumstances both individualized to the survivor and connected to the broader community. Therefore, understanding how Black communities perceive connections between intimate partner violence, intimate partner homicide, and mental health is important. To learn more about these perceptions, the study included 128 Black or African American male and female participants who participated in 22 focus groups across six cities between April and October 2020. Five themes emerged: (1) mental health as an option, (2) barriers to mental healthcare, (3) the importance of culturally responsive care, (4) impact of stigma and labeling, and (5) the faith-based response. Recommendations are provided on how to build a stronger, more integrated response to address intimate partner violence, mental health, and intimate partner homicide in the Black community, particularly with a focus on the important role that social workers can play in addressing these issues.