Research
From the cradle to the grave, we are forever learning
Mai i te kōpae ki te urapa, tātou ako tonu ai
An Update of Peer Support/Peer Provided Services Underlying Processes, Benefits, and Critical Ingredients
The purpose of this article is to delineate the current state-of-the-knowledge of peer support following the framework employed in the 2004 article (Solomon, Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2004;27(4):392–401 1). A scoping literature was conducted and included articles from 1980 to present. Since 2004, major growth and advancements in peer support have occurred from the development of new […]
Time to change course in stigma research?
As one of the world’s longest running anti-stigma campaigns, Time to Change (UK), came to an end in March 2021, policy makers, campaigners and researchers will be looking to learn lessons to take forward into the next phase in the fight against stigma. This presents the perfect opportunity to revisit the stigma research landscape and ask important […]
The Nature and Impact of Informal Mental Health Support in an LGBTQ Context: Exploring Peer Roles and Their Challenges
Research shows that LGBTQ communities experience high levels of suicidality and mental ill health. They also face significant barriers to accessing adequate mental health treatment in service settings. In response to these factors, it is likely that LGBTQ community members turn to their peers for informal mental health-related support. Such support, however, is largely undefined, […]
On female sexual abuse of children among religious sisters in New Zealand
There is a powerful misconception that the sexual predation of children and vulnerable adults within faith based institutions is invariably an issue of male on male or male on female assault. This is clearly not the case. Indeed, within the Catholic Church in Aotearoa entities that had the highest total figures of likely peadophiles between […]
Comparison Between Male and Female Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Assault in Relation to Age at Admission to Therapy, Age of Onset, and Age at Last Sexual Assault: Retrospective Observational Study
Sexual abuse and sexual assault are complex phenomena that involve many factors (or correlates) and have many health and financial implications for individuals, families, and society. Every correlate needs to be studied in detail, individually and in relation to other correlates. Only with a thorough understanding of these correlates can more efficient and targeted prevention […]
Evaluation of PartnerSPEAK
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is rapidly becoming more prevalent online (Bursztein et al., 2019) as the number of people accessing it is increasing. This problem has only escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prompted an unprecedented increase in reports of CSAM to authorities (NCMEC, 2021). Many of these men have partners or families […]
Whispers in private: The lived experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence – a research paper
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major social problem and health concern worldwide and remains an emotional and controversial topic. While few studies have been conducted with a focus on men’s experiences of victimisation from female partners there is now a growing body of literature highlighting a knowledge gap and the need for more research […]
Serving Male-Identified Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence – a technical assistance guide from the National Research Centre on Domestic Violence
Historically, domestic violence programs were born from the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s to address the needs of female survivors, who still represent the majority of victims seeking services today. Generally, the domestic violence movement has framed its work on a gender binary with men as perpetrators and women as victims. We have come […]
Living with and Healing from Complex Trauma
Trauma-informed peer support helps create a shared understanding of trauma experiences, the different ways people cope, give and receive support, and recover. It fosters healing relationships, which negate the power and control of traditional therapies. Download PDF
How gender bias in research and the use of misleading language harms male victims of family violence – a case study
Male victims of family violence have always lacked the services and support available (many would say insufficiently available) to female victims. Thankfully more services and support are now available to men than were provided decades ago, however lack of services for male victims is still a significant problem that needs addressing. This article uses a […]
How Mutual Empathy and Authenticity Contribute to Client Change
A study to examine the association between the therapeutic relationship and the experience of client change as evidenced by changes observed by the therapist. The study focused on the real relationship component of the tripartite model, and mutual empathy and authenticity, elements of relational-cultural theory. A correlational study design was used to explore the relationship […]
The Relationship Experiences of Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse: A Qualitative Analysis
Although the experience of sexual abuse is quite common among men, particularly among those in clinical populations, relatively little research has been done specifically with male survivors and the impact of abuse in their lives. More specifically, the impact of sexual abuse on male survivors’ relationship dynamics has been underdeveloped in the research literature. Untapped […]