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Abstract
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To the editor,
Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global public health concern that adversely affects women's physical and mental health, leading to increased use of health services.1 Healthcare providers will likely be the first point of contact for women experiencing IPV, to provide services in health settings.2 However, numerous barriers to disclosure and inquiry may be responsible for low detection rates in healthcare settings.3 The most common reasons for non-disclosure of violence are cultural acceptance of violence, stigma, embarrassment, shame, fear of further violence, and lack of privacy.4 Healthcare providers may also be reluctant to screen for IPV. The most common barriers identified include lack of training, negative attitude, lack of time, personal discomfort, and fear of re-traumatizing the victim.5
Women availing psychiatric treatment are more vulnerable to IPV, and prolonged exposure to IPV was associated with the onset of psychiatric illness.6 Despite these findings, IPV remains mostly undetected by Mental Health Professionals (MHPs), where clinicians rarely ask for IPV and fail to address the abuse within the treatment plans.7 The current research aimed to explore MHPs' knowledge, attitude, and preparedness and their need to respond to IPV in a clinical setting.
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, a tertiary mental health hospital. A total of 51 full-time practicing MHPs (including psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses) working in adult psychiatry units were recruited for the study using purposive sampling. Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants at the time of recruitment. The study was approved by the Institute Ethics Committee, Behavioral Division.
The data was collected using Mental Health Professionals' Attitude & Opinion, Knowledge, Preparedness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence (MAP-IPV) prepared by the research team.8 It consists of 49 items in three domains: attitude and opinion (15 items), knowledge (17 items), and preparedness (17 items). The scale's content validity was established through ten subject experts in the area of gender and mental health. The responses for each item are "strongly disagree", "disagree", "somewhat agree", "agree", and "strongly agree" on a five-point Likert scale. Total scores obtainable on the MAP-IPV scale range from 49 to 245. A higher score indicates a higher or greater level of preparedness to handle IPV cases among professionals. ...
Language: en |