Mental Health Effects of Different Types of Abuse

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPhysical AbuseEmotional AbuseSexual AbuseFinancial Abuse

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Physical Abuse

Emotional Abuse

Sexual Abuse

Financial Abuse

Abuse is an all too common occurrence in relationships worldwide. Abuse is not only limited to romantic relationships. It can also be present in familial relationships, friendships, and interactions with acquaintances and strangers.

Many victims of domestic abuse have to grapple with the emotional and mental health effects of psychological aggression, neglect, financial abuse, and other forms of intimate partner violence.

In this guide, we’ll be examining the different ways abuse takes a toll on mental well-being. Plus, we’ll be highlighting ways to seek help when living in an abusive situation.

Abuse By Proxy

This is perhaps the most overt form of abuse. Physical abuse employs the use of force to humiliate, control, or coerce a victim to act in a particular way. It is intentionally causing bodily injury to a partner to establish dominance over them.

Forms of Physical Abuse

Here are some common forms of physical abuse:

Effects of Physical Abuse

When a person constantly receives or is at the risk of receiving blows to the body, slaps to the face, or another form of cruel physical contact, there is a high chance that their body will host various injuries in many states of healing.

For women especially, physical violence and the threat of it come with a different set of challenges. Receiving constant violence and the stress of expecting harm has been linked to chronic health challenges like back pain and headaches.

Abuse victims may also find that they are restless during daily activities or unable to achieve much due to fatigue.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

This form of abuse does not require physical contact to cause damage, it does, however, diminish a person’s self-esteem and self-worth.

In some cases, they may employ extreme criticism when these demands are not met to their standards.

Emotional abuse maytake different formsthat can cause a victim to feel wounded, worthless, and anxious.

Forms of Emotional Abuse

Effects of Emotional Abuse

Victims of emotional abuse are likely to experience depression and anxiety. It isn’t uncommon for an abused partner to develop phobias, or alcohol and substance use disorders. An emotionally abused person may also self-harm or engage in reckless sexual practices following emotional harm.

Very worryingly, a person that has experienced emotional abuse may begin to harbor suicidal thoughts and can even attempt to end their life as a result of the pain.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

Some of the most brutal forms of domestic violence come in the many variations ofsexual abuse. Sexual abuse occurs where a person is forced to perform sexual acts against their wishes.

While rape is the most recognizable form of sexual abuse, this form of violence may appear in other ways.

Forms of Sexual Abuse

Effects of Sexual Abuse

Being forced to perform sexual acts or partake in dehumanizing forms of intercourse can cause feelings of guilt to present themselves,even though the victim is in no way responsible for what has occurred.

A victim of sexual abuse may also find it difficult to hold on to relationships and can begin to struggle with depression and anxiety. While navigating the anger and disbelief of their partner’s actions, victims may experience PTSD, sexual dysfunction, and poor sleep patterns.

In severe cases, this extreme breach of trust and humanity can cause a victim of sexual assault to make attempts at ending their life.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can contact theRAINN National Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member at a local RAINN affiliate.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can contact theRAINN National Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member at a local RAINN affiliate.

An easily overlooked, yet dangerous form of abuse occurswhere a partner has limited or no access to funds in a relationship. In such a situation, one partner has the majority control over the money in the relationship, and how it is dispersed for needs.

This mistreatment may also crop up where one partner is prevented from opportunities that might grant financial independence.

Financial abuse forces a person to become heavily reliant on their partner for funds to buy everyday items like clothing, groceries. This ultimately affects the victim’s ability to survive.

Forms of Financial Abuse

Effects of Financial Abuse

It can be mentally and emotionally devastating when one person can decide to withhold money for the food their partner eats, how much they can spend on new clothes, or even decree a haircut as an unnecessary monthly expense.

Intimate partners—usually women, on the receiving end of financial abusemay be found in a constant state of anxiety and distress over their economic state. The reality is that they lack the resources to leave their partners and feel trapped. This feeling can lead to depression.

A Word From Verywell

Abuse in any form can be incredibly damaging to someone’s emotional and physical health. If you are a victim of abuse, please remember that it is not your fault and that there are resources that are available to help you.

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Statistics.World Health Organization.Understanding and Addressing Violence against Women.Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, et al.Domestic Violence. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: the role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic Violence and Abuse in Intimate Relationship from Public Health Perspective.Health Psychol Res. 2014;2(3):1821. Published 2014 Oct 22. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821World Health Organization.World Report on violence and health, Chapter 6: Sexual Violence.Antai D, Oke A, Braithwaite P, Lopez GB.The effect of economic, physical, and psychological abuse on mental health: a population-based study of women in the Philippines.Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:852317. doi:10.1155/2014/852317

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Statistics.World Health Organization.Understanding and Addressing Violence against Women.Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, et al.Domestic Violence. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: the role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic Violence and Abuse in Intimate Relationship from Public Health Perspective.Health Psychol Res. 2014;2(3):1821. Published 2014 Oct 22. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821World Health Organization.World Report on violence and health, Chapter 6: Sexual Violence.Antai D, Oke A, Braithwaite P, Lopez GB.The effect of economic, physical, and psychological abuse on mental health: a population-based study of women in the Philippines.Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:852317. doi:10.1155/2014/852317

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Statistics.World Health Organization.Understanding and Addressing Violence against Women.Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, et al.Domestic Violence. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: the role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic Violence and Abuse in Intimate Relationship from Public Health Perspective.Health Psychol Res. 2014;2(3):1821. Published 2014 Oct 22. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821World Health Organization.World Report on violence and health, Chapter 6: Sexual Violence.Antai D, Oke A, Braithwaite P, Lopez GB.The effect of economic, physical, and psychological abuse on mental health: a population-based study of women in the Philippines.Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:852317. doi:10.1155/2014/852317

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Statistics.

World Health Organization.Understanding and Addressing Violence against Women.

Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N.Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety and quality of life: A hidden dilemma of Pakistani women.Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893

Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, et al.Domestic Violence. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.

Karakurt G, Silver KE.Emotional abuse in intimate relationships: the role of gender and age.Violence Vict. 2013;28(5):804-821. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00041

Rakovec-Felser Z.Domestic Violence and Abuse in Intimate Relationship from Public Health Perspective.Health Psychol Res. 2014;2(3):1821. Published 2014 Oct 22. doi:10.4081/hpr.2014.1821

World Health Organization.World Report on violence and health, Chapter 6: Sexual Violence.

Antai D, Oke A, Braithwaite P, Lopez GB.The effect of economic, physical, and psychological abuse on mental health: a population-based study of women in the Philippines.Int J Family Med. 2014;2014:852317. doi:10.1155/2014/852317

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