THESIS. Many women seeking emergency medical care have at some point experienced mental or physical abuse by a close relative. This is according to a new doctoral thesis from Sahlgrenska Academy, which also shows that women living in abusive relationships often feel ignored by staff at emergency rooms.
For the study, researchers asked 300 women waiting for care at emergency rooms if they were willing to fill in a short questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of five questions that only took a few minutes to answer. Of the 234 respondents, 82 women (or 35 percent) reported having suffered at some point psychological, physical, or sexual violence. Thirty-one of the women (or 13 percent) said that they were afraid of their partner. Many of the women had been forced to have sex.
The study identified 80 children under 18 who lived at home with abused women. “Many of the women said that violence against them had decreased when they became pregnant, compared with the year before. This raises the question of whether women may be using pregnancy to protect themselves from being beaten,” according doctoral student Darcia Pratt-Eriksson, the author of the thesis.
Indifference and neglect
In-depth interviews with twelve women who sought refuge at a women’s shelter provides a sobering picture of how these women experienced treatment from the medical care system and society. They described how they had been treated with indifference and ignored by health professionals, social workers, and police. The women felt that they were in conflict with the authorities, and they felt betrayed and abandoned by society.
“These women were disappointed, dismayed, and saddened by the lack of support, care, and empathy. As researchers, we were surprised that the women experienced such negative treatment in emergency rooms. Nurses and other health professionals need to understand and identify the signs of abuse and provide adequate care,” says Pratt-Eriksson, who is also a registered nurse.
Awareness is needed
“Violence by men in relationships is a problem that deserves more attention,” Pratt-Eriksson says. “In many cases, emergency room staff do not notice women who are beaten by their partners when they seek treatment for the injury. Health professionals who work in emergency care could take on a larger role in identifying women subjected to abuse by their partners.”
“By recognizing female victims of violence, it is possible to give them a voice and also give them the opportunity to recover. Women who are informed about the different forms of care and support available can gain a better sense of controlling their own situation.”
In her thesis, Darcia Pratt-Eriksson concludes that a specially designed questionnaire can be used to identify women who are victims of abuse. The questionnaire is a modified version of a similar one used in other countries. Another conclusion is the need for better cooperation between health professionals, social services, and the police in identifying victims of domestic violence. Medical staff also need to be better at discovering this type of injury.
The thesis Intimate Partner Violence Among women in Sweden – a clinical study of experience, occurrence, severity of violence and the care given was defended on September 15.
A copy is available here: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/supervised/2077/43457
