Victims of domestic violence (DV) frequently suffer from a range of deleterious physical and mental health consequences, which are exacerbated by the lack of effective avenues for help, the frequent acceptance of abuse by survivors and their communities, the fear of societal defamation and the normalisation of domestic abuse, neglect and control as a ‘household/private affair’. Although legal, educational and rehabilitative services are available for survivors, interventions to address the psychological consequences of DV are almost non-existent in India.  Anecdotal evidence suggests a lack of efficacious psychosocial support within Goa and health service interventions, although effective, are difficult to implement in low-resource settings. These challenges can be overcome through community-based interventions, which utilise existing community resources and engage families for social support (shown to be an important protective factor). First and foremost, however, a deeper understanding of the needs and preferences of this population is required.

This study aimed to qualitatively explore the experiences of survivors of domestic violence in families affected by a relative’s drinking, in order to ultimately inform the development of effective and culturally acceptable interventions for this population. As such, we aimed to listen and respond to the voice of a group that has traditionally been marginalised and underserved by the healthcare and social sectors. This study was informed by our collective experiences in the Supporting Addiction Affected Families Effectively (SAFE) projects (2014-ongoing). SAFE was a treatment development project, aiming to adopt a psychosocial intervention for family members affected by a relative’s alcohol use. This study was conceptualised as a sub-study of SAFE.