Evidence shows mental illness isn't a reason to doubt women survivors
This article discusses sexual assault, gendered violence and mental distress.
Over the past week, some听media commentary听on the rape allegations against federal Attorney-General Christian Porter have used the alleged victim鈥檚听history of mental health difficulties听to undermine and听raise questions听about the truth of her claims.
Christian Porter denies the allegations, and he has a right to the presumption of innocence.
What鈥檚 not acceptable is the use of a woman鈥檚 struggles with mental health to discredit her account of an alleged sexual assault.
This is because exposure to trauma is one of the most significant听听a person will seek support from mental health services. Gendered violence and mental distress often go hand in hand.
The links between gendered violence and mental health
Research, including听听, reveals many women survivors demonstrate resilience after violence and abuse.
However, others report struggling with mental health and seek support for feelings of shame, fear, sadness, flashbacks, panic attacks, low self-worth and other painful experiences.
The mental distress associated with gendered violence is often听听by disappointing system responses, victim-blaming, and other negative social impacts such as difficulties gaining and maintaining employment.
Mental illness stereotypes
There鈥檚 a pervasive idea that accounts from people with a mental illness are unreliable. Long-standing听听link mental illness with unpredictability and untrustworthiness.
These stereotypes are more marked for women because of similarly long-standing historical tropes that connect femininity with听.
However, undermining women鈥檚 accounts of abuse on the basis of mental illness is problematic. Research demonstrates disclosures of violence made by people accessing mental health services are听reliable听over long periods of time. False allegations are听marginal.
Women who experience mental anguish after violence are not 鈥渋rrational鈥�. Their mental distress is an听understandable response听to overwhelming events.
There鈥檚 an idea that people with certain psychiatric diagnoses are more susceptible to 鈥渇alse memories鈥� of abuse than other groups. The notion of 鈥渇alse memory syndrome鈥� was used in the 1990s to听听of rising reports of child sexual abuse. It was largely applied to the childhood sexual abuse of girls within their families, rather than adult rape. The notion of spurious memories arising in the context of dissociative states has featured across media and social media in recent weeks, including in one widely maligned听.
While memory is complex, the idea that people with certain psychiatric diagnoses are more prone to making up reports of sexual abuse and rape is simply听听.
Gendered violence is under-detected
听reveal many women who access mental health services never disclose their experiences of gendered violence. Often, mental health workers听fail to ask听women about their personal histories of abuse and violence.
A mental health history can also act as a听barrier听to the disclosure of violence. This is often because women fear their diagnosis will make them unreliable witnesses in the eyes of practitioners and others in the community.
Women experiencing mental health difficulties report they want听听mental health support. This means responding to their specific needs as women, including improving the detection of gendered violence and its impacts. Through this more holistic approach, mental health workers will be better equipped to address the root causes of women鈥檚 distress.
Mental illness increases the likelihood of exposure to violence
It鈥檚 particularly problematic to dismiss disclosures of gendered violence from women with mental health difficulties because this group is at significantly higher risk of violence, precisely as a consequence of reduced mental health and well-being.
Some domestic violence perpetrators use a woman鈥檚 psychiatric diagnosis as a听tool of abuse. For example, as a form of gaslighting to reduce her sense of self-worth or to convince her she won鈥檛 be believed if she discloses the abuse.
Recent research has also revealed sexual harassment and assault is experienced by women within mental health inpatient听units.
What should be done?
Rates of reporting gendered violence in Australia are very听. It鈥檚 important prejudicial ideas about mental illness are not mobilised against women to further prevent their disclosures from being heard and taken seriously.
When the media uses a woman鈥檚 mental health history to cast doubt on her allegations, other women will be deterred from speaking out about their experiences.
Women with mental health difficulties who disclose violence should be provided with options and resources. Their disclosures should be taken seriously, their feelings should be validated and supported, and they should be presented with a range of pathways for support and justice.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you鈥檙e concerned about someone you know, please call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Dr Emma Tseris is a senior lecturer in Social Work and Policy Studies in the School of Education and Social Work. Her co-author is from University of South Australia. This article was originally published in The Conversation as . Top photo: Unsplash
