In the long run, however, these models may ultimately prove to be especially useful to DV survivors, particularly those whose experiences of abuse have been more prolonged and severe. To date, none have been specifically tailored to or studied for survivors of domestic violence.
The most promising of these are complex trauma treatment models.īased originally on the work of Judith Herman, MD, in her 1992 book, Trauma and Recovery, complex trauma models offer a more comprehensive framework for understanding and responding to the various effects of chronic abuse as well as a more flexible multi-modal treatment approach.
While evidence-based trauma treatment designed specifically survivors of DV is currently limited, there are a number of other trauma treatments that may prove helpful for DV survivors if they are adapted to incorporate DV-specific concerns and studied to assess their safety and efficacy for DV survivors. OTHER PROMISING APPROACHES: COMPLEX TRAUMA TREATMENT MODELS To learn more about these models, see A Systematic Review of Trauma-Focused Interventions for Domestic Violence Survivors, by Carole Warshaw MD, Cris Sullivan, PhD, and Echo Rivera. Several of these models have shown promise for improving the mental health and well-being of DV survivors, depending on their circumstances. Most have adapted some form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the common evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by including issues of particular concern to DV survivors and/or by modifying the length of treatment to increase accessibility. There are currently a handful of trauma treatment models that have been developed specifically for survivors of domestic violence. Additional barriers to services exist for survivors who do not speak English or are undocumented, or for whom accessing behavioral health services carries a high level of stigma. While awareness of trauma has grown considerably in both the mental health and substance abuse fields, access to mental health or substance abuse services of any kind is often limited, much less services that are gender responsive, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, and trauma specific.
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