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Effect of type and severity of intimate partner violence on women's health and service use : findings from a primary care trial of women afraid of their partners

journal contribution
posted on 2013-01-01, 00:00 authored by K Hegarty, L O'Doherty, P Chondros, J Valpied, A Taft, J Astbury, Stephanie Brown, Lisa GoldLisa Gold, Ann TaketAnn Taket, G Feder, J Gunn
Intimate partner violence (IPV) has major affects on women’s wellbeing. There has been limited investigation of the association between type and severity of IPV and health outcomes. This article describes socio-demographic characteristics, experiences of abuse, health, safety, and use of services in women enrolled in the Women’s Evaluation of Abuse and Violence Care (WEAVE) project. We explored associations between type and severity of abuse and women’s health, quality of life, and help seeking. Women (aged 16–50 years) attending 52 Australian general practices, reporting fear of partners in last 12 months were mailed a survey between June 2008 and May 2010. Response rate was 70.5% (272/386). In the last 12 months, one third (33.0%) experienced Severe Combined Abuse, 26.2% Physical and Emotional Abuse, 26.6% Emotional Abuse and/or Harassment only, 2.7% Physical Abuse only and 12.4% scored negative on the Composite Abuse Scale. A total of 31.6% of participants reported poor or fair health and 67.9% poor social support. In the last year, one third had seen a psychologist (36.6%) or had 5 or more general practitioner visits (34.3%); 14.7% contacted IPV services; and 24.4% had made a safety plan. Compared to other abuse groups, women with Severe Combined Abuse had poor quality of life and mental health, despite using more medications, counseling, and IPV services and were more likely to have days out of role because of emotional issues. In summary, women who were fearful of partners in the last year, have poor mental health and quality of life, attend health care services frequently, and domestic violence services infrequently. Those women experiencing severe combined physical, emotional, and sexual abuse have poorer quality of life and mental health than women experiencing other abuse types. Health practitioners should take a history of type and severity of abuse for women with mental health issues to assist access to appropriate specialist support.

History

Journal

Journal of interpersonal violence

Volume

28

Issue

2

Pagination

273 - 294

Publisher

Sage Publications

Location

Thousand Oaks, Calif.

ISSN

0886-2605

eISSN

1552-6518

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal article