Politician’s History of Being Physically Abused Surfaced during Campaign
In a related post for today’s entry on politicians and mental illness, Kathleen Troia “KT” McFarland’s past history of being physically abused as a child surfaced during her campaign.
The media got a hold of letters that McFarland wrote in 1992 to her parents at the advice of a counselor. This caused McFarland to disclose her history with physical abuse. McFarland’s father was allegedly the abuser.
British Medical Association Says 1 in 10 Children in UK Suffers from Mental Health Problems
There also appears to be a socioeconomic link to this trend of increasing mental health problems in children, where poorer areas showed higher rates of mental health disorders. Unfortunately, these children may also not receive the care or treatment they need.
Scotsman.com news noted an authority saying that Scotland has pockets of poverty stricken areas. These are especially vulnerable when children require strong family units and social networks for good mental health. Additionally, people living in economically deprived areas may not be aware of mental health issues or seek help for their children.
One of the comments to the article pointed out the breakdown of the parental unit that has caused to the deterioration of children’s mental health. Extreme stress from divorce and other family strife can inflict psychological and emotional trauma to children and perhaps trigger mental health disorders in children who may already be more susceptible to certain mental illnesses.
Domestic Violence in Soldiers’ Families
Some are saying that the abuse culture fostered by the military - that violence may even be “necessary and honorable” - may contribute to a perceived widespread pattern of domestic violence in military families. There is no solid data comparing rate of domestic violence between military and civilian families.
The US Department of Defense reported 227 domestic homicides spanning a 6 year period between 1995 and 2001 where 5 of those murders occurred in 2002. The government admits that this problem needs to be addressed, and a task force was formed for this purpose. However, the track record of properly implementing on the task force recommendations - including disciplinary action when caught - appeared spotty at best.
Given the current state of war, there may be a link between deployment and the rate of domestic violence, making task force implemention more essential. Christine Hansen oversees the Miles Foundation that helps survivors of military personel related domestic abuse and observed that abuse incidences increase right before deployment for war, and then upon return from active duty.
What is hindering progress in domestic violence associated with military families was suggestetd to include social stigma of domestic violence (don’t want to talk about it) and feeling like military personnel could do no wrong.