State court advocates say the number of serious domestic crimes in the first half of this year surged over the same time frame a year ago, and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence links that increase to rising tensions as families struggle to make mortgage payments and put food in the fridge.

At a news conference at Victims Grove Memorial Park in Providence Wednesday, the coalition released statistics showing the number of domestic-violence felonies committed from January through June had risen from 169 to 210 over the same period last year — a nearly 25 percent increase.

“It’s a big warning sign to us that things are getting worse,” said Deborah DeBare, coalition executive director. She says it’s the largest increase in at least five years based on data provided by court advocates.

And she warned that more hard times are ahead. “I hate to paint a picture of doom and gloom, but there’s no quick fix for the economy,” she said. “Here, we’re preparing ourselves for a difficult year ahead.”

A 2004 National Institute of Justice study identifies financial stress as a major contributor to domestic violence. That five-year analysis shows that couples facing “extensive financial strain” had triple the domestic-violence rate and that women whose male partners experienced job instability were more likely to face abuse.

Rhode Island advocates are seeing a high volume of calls from women seeking services, but who are afraid to leave their home because of financial concerns, DeBare said. They worry that pressing charges or taking a restraining order out might jeopardize their partner’s job, she said.

“Victims of abuse are less likely to want to pick up everything and leave,” DeBare said.

The stress of not being able to pay the rent or afford clothes for children can worsen already abusive relationships, she said.

“Someone who has a pattern of being abusive, if their life feels more out of control than they are used to, they try to gain more control by being abusive,” DeBare said.

Adding to the situation, DeBare says, are state budget cuts that leave her agency doing more with less.

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said Wednesday that while his office hasn’t seen a direct correlation between the increase in domestic-violence crimes and the bad economy, history supports that belief.

“Over time we know that difficult economic times at home often lead to domestic violence,” he said.

He praised advocates as an essential part of the court system as they are often the people who first comfort victims and guide them through the legal process, he said.

kmulvane@projo.com