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Women’s Circle Chair of Studies on Violence Against Women: Women’s Mental Health

Most of the major forms of non-organic mental health problems in women have been linked to the experience of violence, and it is clear that the victimization of women with severe mental illness is widespread. While the extant literature provides some focus on the mental health implications of adult victimization, a comprehensive synthesis of the association of victimization, mental health sequelae, and substance use among women is lacking.

The second endowed chair to be established by the Center will advance the study of violence against women and its relation to women’s mental health. The $1 million necessary to endow the Chair was through the philanthropy of a strong group of businesswomen, philanthropists, community volunteers and public servants who founded a Women’s Circle Endowment for the Center. The Women's Circle Endowment will be the Center's largest, multi-purpose research-focused endowment. It is first set to establish the endowed chair and will then grow to support professorships, graduate fellowships and other research mission.

The Center’s Women’s Circle Endowed Chair of Studies on Violence Against Women was filled effective July 2008 by Diane R. Follingstad, PhD. Dr. Follingstad’s primary academic home will be the College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry.  She will also be jointly appointed in the Department of Psychology. Prior to coming to UK, Dr. Follingstad was a Distinguished Professor in Clinical and Forensic Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Her primary research interests focus on forensic issues related to battered women, physical dating violence, and factors impacting jury verdicts in cases where battered women kill a partner. Her recent research efforts have led to a more sophisticated measurement of psychological aggression.

Diane R. Follingstad, Ph.D., Women’s Circle Endowed Chair
Center for Research on Violence Against Women
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
3470 Blazer Pkwy., Lexington, KY 40509
Office: (859) 323-5281
Fax: (859) 257-3898
Cell: (859) 533-2757
Follingstad@uky.edu