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Citation
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Barbieri M, Zanini M, Di Nitto M, Aleo G, Catania G, Sasso L, Bagnasco A. J. Clin. Nurs. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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The results of the study by Broughton et al. (2024) are crucial in shaping the phenomenon of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in its complexity. The mechanism that leads women to prioritize the health of their children even in an IPV situation is remarkable and highlights how taking care of victims is not a linear and easily standardized pathway but should be adapted to the needs of each individual. Otherwise, there is a risk of running into reduced effectiveness of the health or social care pathway itself. Considering the Italian context and the scale of the phenomenon and its social consequences and implications, Italian National Guidelines for the rescue and care of women victims of IVP, addressed to health care providers, were published in 2018 (D.P.C.M., 2018). In fact, it is estimated that 31.5% of Italian women are victims of some form of violence and 13.6% are IPV victims (ISTAT, 2014 - to be updated in 2024).
The purpose of the Guidelines was to help healthcare workers manage the physical and psychological consequences that IPV has on women's health. The results of the study by Broughton and colleagues convey content that is consistent with the Italian Guidelines, and this is clear considering that they provide the context for the role of the hospitals and community health services within the national anti-violence network. Beyond the implications of practical management implications, the features of the national anti-violence network and its constituent elements are undoubtedly significant. On the one hand, they emphasize the important role of physicians, nurses, midwives, and all healthcare providers, who are often in a key position for the early detection and management of IVP cases, on the other hand, it reinforces the idea that, given the nature of IVP, it is essential to dialogue between all the members of the anti-violence network.
Another key point touched upon by the article's authors (Broughton et al., 2024) concerns the biases that healthcare providers may incur in approaching IPV victims. This is a real risk that can affect the quality of care provided. It may be the reason why also in the Italian Guidelines (D.P.C.M., 2018), concepts such as 'nonjudgmental behaviour', 'respect' and 'active listening' are aspects that are treated on a par with the clinical management of victims of IPV. This approach clearly conveys how much the clinical and psychological-relational aspects are complementary in these situations. In relation to this, it is also worth to mention the fundamental role that education plays in impacting these dynamics. The Italian Guidelines (D.P.C.M., 2018), in fact, supported by the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022), devote a separate annex to...
Language: en |