The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis
Background: Violence against women (VAW) is a pervasive public health problem in Canada with detrimental impacts on the mental health of survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the incidence and severity of VAW, deterioration in population level mental health and well-being, and exace...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Women's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251338484 |
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| author | Bridget Steele Priya Shastri Catherine Moses Elizabeth Tremblay Monique Arcenal Patricia O’Campo Robin Mason Janice Du Mont Maria Hujbregts Amanda Sim Alexa R. Yakubovich |
| author_facet | Bridget Steele Priya Shastri Catherine Moses Elizabeth Tremblay Monique Arcenal Patricia O’Campo Robin Mason Janice Du Mont Maria Hujbregts Amanda Sim Alexa R. Yakubovich |
| author_sort | Bridget Steele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Violence against women (VAW) is a pervasive public health problem in Canada with detrimental impacts on the mental health of survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the incidence and severity of VAW, deterioration in population level mental health and well-being, and exacerbated barriers to accessing health and social services. People who were already vulnerable to mental illness or people experiencing marginalization across social factors experienced even greater challenges with their mental health. Objectives: We aimed to understand the mental health of VAW survivors accessing services during the pandemic and how experiences differed across diverse life histories and sociodemographic factors. Design: We conducted interviews from April to September 2021, with 10 adult women who had accessed at least one VAW service in the Greater Toronto Area since March 11, 2020. These data were collected as part of a community-based study on the processes, experiences, and outcomes of adapting VAW programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were sampled through staff contacts at VAW organizations to represent a diverse cross-section of sociodemographic factors and types of services accessed. Methods: We used narrative thematic analysis to analyze our interview data and identified how life histories and sociodemographic factors intersected with themes about their mental health. Results: The research team identified four narrative themes pertaining to survivor mental health: (1) new and exacerbated anxiety, depression, and substance use, (2) feelings of hopelessness and mental exhaustion, (3) shame and low self-esteem, and (4) resiliency. Survivor’s experiences across these themes differed based on personal factors and life histories (e.g. being a newcomer, being a mother, experiences of childhood trauma and abuse, living with a disability, and socioeconomic status). Conclusion: During the pandemic, survivors experienced greater mental health needs and at the same time encountered greater challenges in accessing support, which had significant consequences for their mental well-being. Services that support VAW survivors (as essential services) require increased funding and resources to offer effective, accessible, and timely support that improves the lives of survivors. This support must consider survivors’ unique needs based on personal factors and life histories during and beyond public health emergencies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-20b48e940cdd4dbbb43832cd1e72add8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1745-5065 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-20b48e940cdd4dbbb43832cd1e72add82025-08-20T02:29:25ZengSAGE PublishingWomen's Health1745-50652025-05-012110.1177/17455057251338484The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysisBridget Steele0Priya Shastri1Catherine Moses2Elizabeth Tremblay3Monique Arcenal4Patricia O’Campo5Robin Mason6Janice Du Mont7Maria Hujbregts8Amanda Sim9Alexa R. Yakubovich10Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, UKToronto Region Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, CanadaMAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaMAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaWomen’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaWomen’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, CanadaMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaNova Scotia Health, Halifax, NS, CanadaBackground: Violence against women (VAW) is a pervasive public health problem in Canada with detrimental impacts on the mental health of survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the incidence and severity of VAW, deterioration in population level mental health and well-being, and exacerbated barriers to accessing health and social services. People who were already vulnerable to mental illness or people experiencing marginalization across social factors experienced even greater challenges with their mental health. Objectives: We aimed to understand the mental health of VAW survivors accessing services during the pandemic and how experiences differed across diverse life histories and sociodemographic factors. Design: We conducted interviews from April to September 2021, with 10 adult women who had accessed at least one VAW service in the Greater Toronto Area since March 11, 2020. These data were collected as part of a community-based study on the processes, experiences, and outcomes of adapting VAW programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were sampled through staff contacts at VAW organizations to represent a diverse cross-section of sociodemographic factors and types of services accessed. Methods: We used narrative thematic analysis to analyze our interview data and identified how life histories and sociodemographic factors intersected with themes about their mental health. Results: The research team identified four narrative themes pertaining to survivor mental health: (1) new and exacerbated anxiety, depression, and substance use, (2) feelings of hopelessness and mental exhaustion, (3) shame and low self-esteem, and (4) resiliency. Survivor’s experiences across these themes differed based on personal factors and life histories (e.g. being a newcomer, being a mother, experiences of childhood trauma and abuse, living with a disability, and socioeconomic status). Conclusion: During the pandemic, survivors experienced greater mental health needs and at the same time encountered greater challenges in accessing support, which had significant consequences for their mental well-being. Services that support VAW survivors (as essential services) require increased funding and resources to offer effective, accessible, and timely support that improves the lives of survivors. This support must consider survivors’ unique needs based on personal factors and life histories during and beyond public health emergencies.https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251338484 |
| spellingShingle | Bridget Steele Priya Shastri Catherine Moses Elizabeth Tremblay Monique Arcenal Patricia O’Campo Robin Mason Janice Du Mont Maria Hujbregts Amanda Sim Alexa R. Yakubovich The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis Women's Health |
| title | The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis |
| title_full | The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis |
| title_fullStr | The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis |
| title_short | The mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative thematic analysis |
| title_sort | mental health of survivors of violence against women who accessed supportive services during the covid 19 pandemic a narrative thematic analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251338484 |
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