Review highlights the critical link between mental health and domestic abuse
A Domestic Abuse Related Death Review*(DARDR) into the death of Angela (pseudonym) has today been published by the Norfolk Community Safety Partnership (NCSP) to enable lessons to be learned and shared as widely and thoroughly as possible to reduce the risk of such tragedies happening in the future.
Angela was 52 when she died by suspected suicide in May 2023. Due to a long history of mental health struggles and previous incidents and recordings of domestic abuse involving Angela and her husband over a 30-year period, the partnership felt there would be valuable learning from undertaking this review.
The learning coming from the review highlighted the importance of providing victims of domestic abuse with the best response to disclosures as possible, ensuring they are believed and supported to access the support they need. The review also highlights the critical intersection between mental health and domestic abuse, emphasising the need for improved identification, intervention, and multi-agency collaboration. Angela’s caregiving responsibilities were also identified as impacting her willingness and ability to leave the relationship.
Mental health challenges increase both victimisation and perpetration risks. Recent UK studies show that women who attempt suicide are significantly more likely to have experienced domestic abuse compared to the general population.
The review recommendations focus on consideration of cumulative risk rather than single incidents; improvement in the identification, prevention, and support of individuals at risk of suicide due to domestic abuse; sharing relevant risk information appropriately across agencies; maintaining professional curiosity where presentations change; escalating concerns where multiple vulnerabilities coexist; and ensuring safety planning during service transitions.
The Zero Suicide Alliance runs free NHS-backed Suicide awareness training courses that are open to everyone, with person/sector specific courses as part of their offering for healthcare, autism, taxi drivers, veterans, university students, prison and probation.
The partnership responded to these learning points by developing an action plan to deliver on all the recommendations detailed in the report and these will continue to be progressed and reviewed.
Mark Stokes, Chair of the Norfolk Community Safety Partnership said: “The Review Panel and the members of the Norfolk Community Safety Partnership would like to offer their sincere condolences to Angela’s family and friends.
Angela’s story demonstrates the clear relationship between domestic abuse and mental health that requires a multi-agency holistic approach. It is essential that professionals supporting victims of domestic abuse understand how to respond to suicidal ideation and for those supporting people with suicidal ideation are able to ask about and offer support for domestic abuse.”
The full DARDR into the death of Angela can be found here
*A Domestic Abuse Related Death Review (DARDR), formerly known as a Domestic Homicide Review, is a locally conducted, multi-agency review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a relative, partner or member of the same household. DARDRs were established on a statutory basis by the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.
A DARDR panel consists of key members of staff from statutory, non-statutory, third sector and charitable agencies who provide support for victims of domestic abuse. Working together in this way will ensure the voice of the victim is addressed through the lessons learnt and recommendations of this DARDR.
How to find help:
In an emergency always call 999. For further help and support please visit the following websites:
