Domestic violence and deliberate self-harm in India - September 29th
A School of Social and Political Science seminar looking at dometic violence and deliberate self-harm in India
“I choose to have control on my own life by ending it! This will relieve me of the daily torture that I endure”
An interface between domestic violence and intentional self-injury, experiences from the Sundarbans, India
RSVP: To Clay Young (clay.young@ed.ac.uk or 0131 651 1487) by September 24th, 2015 for catering purposes.
Tuesday 29 September 2015, 1.00pm
Tuesday 29 September 2015, 3.00pm
6th Floor Staff Room, Chrystal Macmillan Building, 15a George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD
Speakers:
Dr Sohini Banerjee, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati campus, India
Prof. Arabinda Chowdhury, Consultant Adult Psychiatry, Cambridgeshire, UK & former Professor and Head, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata, India
Discussant:
Dr Anuj Kapilashrami, Lecturer in Global Public Health, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
Non-fatal deliberate self-harm (DSH) and suicide contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most research on suicidal behaviour (DSH and suicide) focuses either on sociodemographic characteristics or psychiatric risk factors, disregarding the role of socio-cultural and situational circumstances of suicidal behaviour. This study examined respondent reported triggers, underlying problems, perceived causes of the problems and help seeking among 40 DSH survivors admitted to a primary health centre in Namkhana, Sundarbans, West Bengal, India. Survivors were interviewed using an in-depth semi structured interview schedule. Women comprised approximately 70% of the study sample. Nearly all respondents linked their deliberate self-harm with social and interpersonal conflicts, a characteristic of domestic violence. Domestic violence represented a significant respondent-perceived burden that motivates suicidal behaviours, for which most respondents did not seek formal help. The WHO estimates that approximately 35% of women globally experience violence either from intimate partners or from family members. This study explored the nature and extent of domestic violence and the role of the extended family including husbands as perpetrators. These risk factors and their social situations should be recognised in practice with survivors of deliberate self-harm to prevent suicidal behaviour and promote mental health. This presentation will discuss the challenges of translating these findings in to development of a community action agenda and information materials.
For any inquiries about the seminar, contact Dr Sumeet Jain, Email: sumeet.jain@ed.ac.uk