16 Days of Activism: The effects of intimate partner violence | Cape Argus

Cape Town - Physical abuse at the hands of an intimate partner is the most common form of violence experienced by South African women and, with rape, is a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

So said the SA Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop), which has highlighted the long-term effects of the trauma of gender-based and domestic violence.

Sasop member Professor Ugasvaree Subramaney said South African women who suffer PTSD as a result of rape and/or physical assault by their partners often never fully recover.

“Nightmares, flashbacks, sleep difficulties, outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating and emotional numbness that characterise PTSD can have a crippling effect on the sufferer’s social functioning, their work and family life, education and physical health, as well as having costs in terms of lost income and medical care, even long after a woman has escaped an abusive situation,” she said.

She said twice as many women as men would experience PTSD during their lifetimes, even though men had greater exposure to traumatic events.