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Violence against women and children affects everybody. It impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of a significant proportion of Australians throughout all states and territories and places an enormous burden on the nation’s economy across family and community services, health and hospitals, income-support and criminal justice systems.

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ANROWS hosts events as part of its knowledge transfer and exchange work, including public lectures, workshops and research launches. Details of upcoming ANROWS activities and news are available from the list on the right.

ANROWS

About ANROWS

ANROWS was established by the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments of Australia to produce, disseminate and assist in applying evidence for policy and practice addressing violence against women and their children.

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Resources

To support the take-up of evidence, ANROWS offers a range of resources developed from research to support practitioners and policy-makers in delivering evidence-based interventions.


RP.20.05

Investigating the mental health of children exposed to domestic and family violence through the use of linked police and health records

Completed
July 2022


In Australia, mental health disorders are a leading cause of disease burden in children. Children’s experiences of domestic and family violence (DFV) are noted as one of the most common and severe adverse childhood events.

Previous research has acknowledged that experiencing DFV in childhood can increase the risk of mental health disorders such as aggression, hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and phobias. Mental health issues may also emerge long after initial exposure to DFV.


Research aim/s

The overarching aim of this project was to identify the mental health service use and diagnoses of children exposed to DFV in Western Australia from 1987 to 2017.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used police and health records to identify children exposed to DFV in Western Australia. The mental health outcomes for children who had been exposed to DFV were then compared with a group of children who had no known record of DFV.

Administrative records from government and non-government departments were merged to investigate differences in the mental health service use and diagnoses of children who had been exposed to DFV. The study also ascertained differences in mental health service use and diagnosis types based on sociodemographic characteristics.


Significance

This project generates a detailed understanding of the impact of DFV, and new insights into the effect of DFV on children’s mental health.

Findings can be used to inform policy and best practice in mental health service provision, DFV responses to children and mental health prevention efforts. They can also enable more targeted interventions to benefit children experiencing DFV, their families and their communities, as well as cross-jurisdictional mental health services and government agencies.

The findings of this research respond to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s call for increased data on the long-term outcomes for children who have experienced DFV.


Downloads

Research report

Investigating the mental health of children exposed to domestic and family violence through the use of linked police data and health records

Download

Research summary

Children and young people’s mental health and domestic and family violence: What’s the link?

Download

Researchers

Project lead

Dr Carol Orr, Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia

Research team

Professor Colleen Fisher, Head of School, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia

Professor David Preen, Chair in Public Health, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia

Professor Helen Milroy, Chair in Child Mental Health, Medical School, Division of Psychiatry, The University of Western Australia

Associate Professor Melissa O’Donnell, Australian Centre for Child Protection, The University of South Australia

Associate Professor Rebecca Glauert, Head of Developmental Pathways and Social Policy, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia

Dr Shae Garwood, Manager, Research, Advocacy & Prevention Innovation & Strategy, Anglicare, Western Australia

Budget

$152,731

This project is funded by Australian Commonwealth, state and territory governments under ANROWS’s 2020–2022 Core Grant round.

See also

Media release

Children five times more likely to receive a mental health service by the time they turn 18 after experiencing domestic and family violence

Find out more

Research

Core research

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COLLECTION

Children, young people and parenting

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SUPPORT

Support directory

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