Citation

Miller E, Beach SR, Thurston RC. JAMA Intern. Med. 2018; 178(12): 1583-1585.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.6523

PMID

30357255

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) (defined as physical and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and stalking) and abuse of older or vulnerable adults are common in the United States and globally. Recent estimates of prevalence in the United States from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, a nationally representative random-digit-dial telephone survey, indicate that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner resulting in consequences such as injury, need for medical care, or posttraumatic stress symptoms. The prevalence of elder abuse varies depending on the population and ascertainment methods, but 1 national survey reports a 10% past year prevalence for abuse or neglect.

The adverse health and societal costs of IPV are substantial. Intimate partner violence is the single leading cause of homicide death in women around the world and is associated with a range of mental health problems, including suicide, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. Physical health problems associated with IPV include acute injury, chronic pain, sexually transmitted infections, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, hypertension, and traumatic brain injury.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently updated recommendations, supported by an evidence report and systematic review, for screening for IPV, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults. The Task Force concludes that screening can identify IPV in women of reproductive age and that screening does not cause substantial adverse effects (B recommendation). The USPSTF identified multiple standardized questionnaires with reasonable accuracy for screening women for IPV in the past year...

Despite this evidence and calls by multiple health organizations to integrate routine inquiry about IPV into all health care encounters, implementation of screening varies widely, with estimates across studies ranging from 2% to 50% of eligible women.

Language: en