Det arbete som börjar med ett avslut : En litteraturstudie om kvinnors utmaningar och strategier efter en våldsam relation

Sammanfattning: The World Health Organization states that violence against women in intimate relationships is a serious threat to women's health. There is a substantial amount of research regarding the consequences of domestic violence. However, less is known about the emotional challenges that women face as a result of the violence and the strategies used to cope with distressing feelings. This scoping review aimed to explore and unfold common emotional challenges women may encounter after the end of a violent relationship as well as the strategies that they might use to cope with their feelings. Painful emotions such as anger, desire for revenge, shame and guilt were found to challenge women emotionally. Many women were also prone to create a wall of protection in relation to others. The challenge to trust men and the need for constant control made it difficult to nurture existing relationships. In addition, women used strategies such as positive thinking, support from peers and professionals, deeper understanding and refocusing to manage these distressing feelings. A problematization of the concept of recovery appeared because of its implication that there is an end date to when the women should have "recovered" from the violence. This false image created an additional feeling of guilt and shame for the women because of the sense of failure if they needed help again later in life. A greater understanding of what can promote as well as hinder the journey towards well-being among battered women is seen as substantial for professionals in order to meet their needs in recovery.