How physicians feel about assisting female victims of intimate-partner violence.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feelings of physicians about assisting female victims of intimate-partner violence (IPV), and to examine factors related to positive and negative feelings about assisting victims of IPV.


METHODS
In 1998, a total site sample of 150 physicians practicing in a large general hospital in the area of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was surveyed by questionnaire via the mail. Four specialties were represented: emergency medicine, family practice, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry. The questionnaire asked about medical training and training in assisting victims of IPV. The physicians' feelings about working with victims of IPV were measured on a nine-item, five-point semantic differential scale.


RESULTS
A total of 76 physicians responded to the questionnaire (response rate = 51%). Only a minority (11%) had overall positive feeling scores about assisting victims of IPV. While most physicians reported that it was "significant work," the great majority also felt that it was difficult, low-paying, and stressful. Training in assisting victims of IPV, in medical school or afterwards, did not appear to influence feelings about assisting victims of IPV. However, physicians who were white and who were married (the majority of the respondents) were significantly more likely than the other respondents to feel negatively about providing services to victims of IPV.


CONCLUSIONS
Graduate medical education and training programs need to address the association of negative feelings with helping women harmed by IPV, because these feelings may interfere with the appropriate screening, referral, and treatment of these victims.
Garimella
Ramani N
RN
Department of Health Science, San Jose State University, California, USA.
Plichta
Stacey B
SB
Houseman
Clare
C
Garzon
Laurel
L
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003469:Culture; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000628:therapy*