Unlocking stories: Older women's experiences of intimate partner violence told through creative expression
Authors: McGarry J. , Bowden D. 
Published: July 2017

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts significantly on the lives and health of those who experience abuse

The impact of IPV exerts a detrimental impact on mental health as well as physical health, but this is often not recognized by professionals

What the study adds to existing knowledge

This study highlights the impact of IPV on the lives and health of older women from the perspective of older women themselves

The approach taken to the study illuminates the ways in which older women describe their experiences within the broader narratives of their experiences

This study has explored the particular situation for older women as told through creative expression and their own stories of survivorship.

Implications for practice

Nurses and other healthcare professionals need to be aware of the enduring impact of IPV for older women, particularly within the context of mental health

Those working with older women also need to be alert to the potential barriers to disclosure and disjuncture between professional dialogue and personal narrative

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) exerts a detrimental impact on the lives and health of all who experience abuse. This includes both physical and mental health and well‐being. The experiences of older women however may be different, and these differences may not be recognized or accounted for within existing care provision.

Aim

To explore the impact of IPV on the lives and health of older women told from the particular perspective of older women themselves as these accounts are largely absence from existing IPV discourse.

Method

An arts‐based research approach with five older women survivors of IPV through the codevelopment and organization of an arts‐based workshop. The workshop essentially encompassed four main arts strands and included the creation of clay models and poetry.

Findings

The findings of the study highlight the significant impact of IPV on the lives, mental health and well‐being of older women. This included feelings of social isolation, inability to trust others and a loss of self‐identity.

Discussion

Intimate partner violence is a global issue and as such of relevance for those working in healthcare contexts beyond the UK. While there is a growing body of evidence surrounding IPV and older women, this has largely been presented through researcher‐led accounts and as such the narratives of women themselves may not have been adequately acknowledged. Unlike much of the existing evidence, this study has explored the particular situation for older women as told through creative expression and their own stories of survivorship. In this study, the fluidity of the potential materials available in the workshops meant that both the representations through which the women spoke and the primacy of their voices, over those of more traditional researcher accounts, were in evidence throughout.

Implications for Practice

Mental health nurses and practitioners are often on the front line for care and support for older client populations. IPV across the life span is a global issue for healthcare practitioners. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide the mechanism through which mental health nurses and other practitioners may reflect on older women's accounts of IPV as told by older women in this study in their own words. Reframing from dominant professional discourse to personal narrative is central to person‐centred approaches and is central to contemporary practice. Ultimately, this has the potential to improve the effectiveness of care provision and support.

Relevance to Mental Health Nursing

The findings presented in this study have the potential to provide a powerful tool for those working within mental health contexts and healthcare professionals working with older populations more generally to consider both the hidden nature of IPV and the ways in which IPV can significantly impact on mental health and well‐being in later life.