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Published on: February 16, 2011

Staying alive: a client with chronic mental illness in an environment of domestic violence

Susan McMullen O'Brien1

  • 1Mental Health Services, La Salle University Neighborhood Nursing Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Holistic Nursing Practice
|March 27, 2002
PubMed

This case study of a young, African American mother with chronic mental illness demonstrates the impact of domestic violence on a vulnerable population. The client was economically disadvantaged, socially isolated, stigmatized, and victimized by repeated abuse from her live-in male partner of 7 years. With this overlay of violence in the home, the client experienced a downward trajectory in health, self-esteem, economic status, personal freedom, social relationships, and legal standing. Using a public health model in the context of an urban nursing center, an advanced practice nurse provided case management and outreach services for the client.

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