Domestic Violence and Abuse in the Military

Improving the understanding and approach to domestic violence and abuse

About our research

The first of its kind in the UK, our cutting-edge research aims to improve understanding of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) perpetration and victimisation among military personnel and their partners.
We work in collaboration with Kings Centre for Military Health Research - the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research and are funded by the National Institute of Health Research - Europe's largest clinical research funder and Forces in Mind Trust.
Our aim is to make recommendations to policy makers, NHS commissioners and third sector providers about the type of support or services that are most helpful to this population.

Key themes

The prevalence of and risk factors for DVA in serving and ex-serving military personnel, particularly in reference to mental health factors such as PTSD.
The impact of military life on relationships and barriers to accessing DVA support.
Attitudes, experiences and practices of professionals within the UK Armed Forces.
Using research to inform the development of policies and practices in DVA management across the military.
DVA among spouses and partners of military personnel.

Interested in participating?

Find out more by reading about our projects below.

Members

Amelia Austin

PhD student King's International studentship

Sagnik Bhattacharyya

Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Psychiatry

Laura Bravo Balsa

Research Assistant in Cognitive Neuroscience

Leonie Brose

Reader in Addiction Education and Nicotine Research

Walter Busuttil

Consultant Psychiatrist & Visiting Professor

Trudie Chalder

Professor of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy

Susie Chandler

Postdoctoral Research Fellow & RE-STAR Programme Manager

Anthony Cleare

Professor of Psychopharmacology & Affective Disorders

Michael Craig

Reader in Forensic & Neurodevelopmental SCiences

John Cunningham

Chair in Addictions Treatment & Recovery Studies

Teresa D'Oliveira Cluimaco Monteiro

Lecturer in Organisational Psychiatry & Psychology

Andrea Danese

Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Paola Dazzan

Professor of Neurobiology of Psychosis, IoPPN Vice Dean (International)

Valeria De Angel

NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre PhD Student

Johnny Downs

Senior Clinical Lecturer (Honorary Consultant) in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

22q Deletion

22q11.2DS is a disorder caused by the deletion of a small piece of chromosome 22.

3 Dimensions for Long-term Conditions (3DLC)

Integrating psychological and social care for long-term conditions: 3 Dimensions of Care for long-term conditions.

3 Dimensions of care for Diabetes (3DFD)

3DFD is a patient-centred multidisciplinary service integrating psychological and social care with diabetes care.

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A 6-week Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicentre Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Lurasidone Adjunctive Therapy in Improving Cognitive Functioning in Euthymic Bipolar Disorder Patients (ELICE-BD)

Comparing the difference in cognitive functioning in people treated with Lurasidone vs. placebo, to observe if the active treatment has any influence.

A blood test for Alzheimer's disease

We aim to develop a simple, accurate and inexpensive blood test for Alzheimer’s disease to support the testing of promising treatments in clinical trials.

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A virtual reality study of depression

The aim of this study is to find better ways to predict how well a treatment works for a particular person with depression.

ADeSS study 3: fMRI study to predict treatment response in patients with depression

The aim of this study is to find better ways to predict how well a treatment works for a particular person with depression.

ADVANCE project outputs

A 60-month programme with 5 workstreams to describe the role of substance use in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men in substance use treatment.

AESOP-10

This project is studying the causes of ethnic differences in the cause and outcome of psychosis.

Alcohol Dependence and Adherence to Medications (ADAM)

Alcohol dependence causes considerable physical and mental health problems;

Antidepressant Advisor Study (ADeSS)

For many people with depression, the antidepressants most usually prescribed by GPs are only somewhat helpful.

Assistive technology and telecare to maintain independent living at home for people with dementia (ATTILA)

The purpose of the study is to find out if telecare can safely extend the time people with dementia can continue to live independently in their own homes.

ATTENS Project

The ATTENS Project explores the potential of eTNS in improving symptoms, cognitive performance and the functioning of the brain in children with ADHD.

Benzodiazepines, z-drugs and codeine products

This is a review of the changing use of prescribed benzodiazepines and z-drugs and of over-the-counter codeine-containing products in England.

BIPP Study

The BIPP Study is a longitudinal follow-up study of brain development and childhood outcomes following very preterm birth, led by Professor Chiara Nosarti.

Brains for Dementia Research

Brains for Dementia Research (BDR) was established in 2007 to promote brain donation and develop a network of brain tissue banks.

Children with conduct problems

Children with conduct problems (CP) are repetitively and persistently aggressive, destructive and break rules in social and school settings.

Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research (CLAHRC)

The CLAHRC is a collaborative partnership between universities and surrounding NHS organisations

Commissioning Toolkit & Parenting Programme Evaluation Tool

The Commissioning Toolkit is an online database that evaluates and rates the quality and effectiveness of parenting programmes.

Computer Assisted Solutions for Studying the Availability aNd DistRibution of novel psychoActive substances.

The internet and social media have transformed the way products are marketed and sold and how information is shared and used.

Contingency Management Programme

This consists of five linked research studies which aim to develop a UK Evidence Base for Contingency Management in Addiction Treatment.

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Deciding

The department has an active interest in questions around substitute decision-making and supportive decision-making in healthcare.

Development of a co-designed tobacco harm reduction toolkit for use within the homeless sector

Diabetes Insulin Management Education study (DIMEs)

Many people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) will require insulin as their diabetes progresses.

Diagnostic specificity and treatment response prediction in ADHD

The aim of this project is to develop new tools that both help improve our understanding of the causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).

The impact of military life on relationships and the experiences of and barriers to help-seeking among those who have perpetrated or experienced DVA

Qualitative interviews will be conducted with military personnel (serving/ex-serving), who either reported being a perpetrator or victim/survivor of DVA, to examine their perspective of the impact of military service on their relationship, support available and attitude to help-seeking for violence within the relationship.

Domestic violence and abuse among spouses and partners of military personnel

Qualitative interviews will be conducted with spouses/partners of serving or ex-serving military personnel who have been victims/survivors of DVA by their military partners, to explore the factors that impact on their relationship, the risk of DVA within these relationships and help seeking behaviours.

Investigating the prevalence and risk factors for DVA perpetration and victimisation among serving and ex-serving military personnel compared to the general population

Data from phase 3 of King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) cohort study of the health and well-being of the UK Armed Forces will be used to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for self-reported DVA in the past year, both perpetration and victimisation, among both serving and ex-serving personnel. The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey will be used as a general population comparison group.

Responding to domestic violence perpetration and victimisation – attitudes, experiences and practices of professionals within the UK Armed Forces

Qualitative interviews will be conducted with health/welfare staff working with serving and ex-serving military personnel to explore attitudes to DVA and to examine how it is identified and managed.

Expert consensus on required changes to policy and practice in prevention and management of DVA among serving and ex-serving personnel

A Delphi methodology will be used to generate expert consensus on good practice in the prevention and management of DVA among UK military personnel.

Contact us

DVA Research

dvaresearch@kcl.ac.uk

020 7848 0225