Community Case Study on Trauma-Specific Treatment and Counseling for Refugee Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence.

Anneke Pogarell,Susan Garthus-Niegel,Clara Von Verschuer,Amera Mojahed,Ute Rokyta,Julia Schellong,Wenke Kummer

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00891

Abstract

Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) are at high risk to suffer from severe mental health consequences, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Refugee women being exposed to IPV in the country of arrival are an especially vulnerable and understudied group and post migration persistent IPV should not be underestimated. Hence, research on special requirements regarding the treatment of these women is needed. We describe two individual cases from our work with refugee women suffering from PTSD symptoms who experienced IPV representing our trauma-specific therapeutic approach targeting this population. By analyzing their personal and medical history as well as their interactions with several institutions of the public sector and counseling centers, we illustrate the possibilities and limitations when helping our clients dealing with trauma-related mental health problems following the experience of IPV. Furthermore, we formulate general recommendations for providing adequate therapeutic frameworks concerning special requirements for the work with refugee women.

Highlights

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as the experience of psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse from current or previous male or female partners [1]
We presented two complexly traumatized patients from our outpatient clinic whose mental health problems are typical for refugee women having been exposed to IPV in Germany
We presented the cases of two refugee women suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being exposed to IPV

Summary

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as the experience of psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse from current or previous male or female partners [1]. Trauma-specific treatment according to official guidelines and counseling for refugee women as victims of IPV involves special requirements, as this population might have particular problems, such as difficult housing circumstances and language barriers [8,9,10]. These special requirements need to be pointed out and discussed in order to overcome social inequalities and Refugee Women Exposed to IPV barriers to health care for refugee women being exposed to IPV. Further psychotherapeutic treatment can be provided by the services paid by the statutory health insurance

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