The Impacts of Intervention Practices With Abused Women in Domestic Violence Shelters: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

This article presents the results of an integrative review of the literature on domestic violence shelter practices, drawing upon 23 studies conducted in five countries from 25 peer-reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2020. The purpose of the review was to understand the impacts of intervention practices on abused women during their stay at a domestic violence shelter. Seven inclusion criteria were used to assess the studies included in the review. A thematic analysis revealed seven themes, divided into two main categories: formal interventions and practices related to shelter culture. These results highlight important implications for policy, research, and practices in domestic violence shelters that are discussed in this article.

The Labor Market Integration of Women Having Suffered Gender Violence: Some Critical Questions.

The integration of women victims of gender-based violence (WVGBV) in the labor market is key to women's autonomy and empowerment. After pursuing some personal stability in different domains (emotional, physical, relational, etc.), these women require a further step toward recovery, which is often related to financial independence and, therefore, to their integration in the labor market. In this article, we describe the results of a study that focused on the actions aimed at integrating WVGBV into the labor market in the region of Andalusia (Spain). Based on a qualitative methodology, we collected the narratives and perspectives of the different actors involved in these processes (public administrations, nongovernmental organizations, the business world, and the WVGBV). The results revealed a series of deficiencies in social intervention methodologies that can sometimes lead to greater social exclusion. In conclusion, we believe that more participatory methodologies in their design, incorporating the views of woman themselves, are necessary.

Psychosocial dimensions of being a child in women's shelters: A phenomenological study on the experiences of battered women - A case study from Türkiye's Northern Region.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women has numerous devastating effects. Exposure to violence not only impacts women but also affects their children both physically and psychosocially. AIMS: The study aimed to evaluate the psychosocial problems of children living with their mothers in women's shelters from the mothers' perspective with a phenomenological approach. METHODS: Utilizing the phenomenological research method, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 individuals in a women's shelter in a province in northern Türkiye. The criterion sampling method, a purposive sampling technique, was employed to select participants. Interviews continued until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed, and thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist for reporting. RESULTS: The data analysis revealed four main categories (effects of violence on the mother, actions taken to protect children from violence, effects of violence and staying in a shelter on the child, and psychosocial needs for the protection of the child's mental health in the shelter) and 10 sub-themes (psychological effects, physical effects, social effects, domestic actions, organizational actions, psychological effects, physical effects, social effects, support system, and coping). CONCLUSION: The study concluded that violence significantly impacted the mental, physical, and social well-being of both women and children, posing challenges to their ability to cope with the aftermath. Women exerted considerable effort in protecting their children from violence, and they needed psychosocial support to ensure the well-being of their children's mental health during their stay in shelters.

Association Between Health-Promoting Behaviors and Reproductive Health Needs in Women Experiencing Domestic Violence.

Violence against women is considered as one of the most serious social problems in all the societies. It is common that the abused women experience physical, psychological, and health problems, as well as reproductive health issues. Domestic violence affects women's health behaviors and ability to seek any form of health care. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and reproductive health needs in women experienced domestic violence. This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 5 to September 21, 2021, on 380 abused women. Cluster sampling was performed in health centers of Karaj. Data were collected using demographic survey questions, Domestic Violence Survey, Reproductive Health Needs of Domestic Violated Women scale, and health-promoting behaviors questionnaire. The mean (standard deviation) scores for reproductive health needs and health-promoting behaviors were 158.88 (20.24) and 131.08 (20.53), respectively. Psychological violence had the highest (69.5%) prevalence among all types and 37.6% of women reported severe violence. The results of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test indicated that all dimensions of the reproductive health needs of abused women (men's participation, self-care, support and health services, and sexual and marital relationships) positively and significantly related to the total score and various dimensions of health-promoting behaviors (interpersonal relationship, health responsibility, physical activity, spiritual growth, nutrition, and stress management). The dimensions of health-promoting behaviors together can explain 21.6% of the changes in reproductive health needs based on linear regression. Violence is a global public concern and paying attention to the various health dimensions in abused women is an important aspect of the health policies. Developing health-promoting behaviors in abused women improves their reproductive health state and society as a whole.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Psychological and Adventure-based Multicomponent Therapeutic Program for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem with different negative consequences for women's mental health. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention for battered women using a comparison group design to analyze improvement in self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and depression. The intervention consisted of an eight-session multicomponent intervention program based on the combination of group psychological therapy and adventure activities. The study sample originally consisted of 34 women IPV victims. Self-report psychological assessment was conducted during the pre-test and post-test while interviews were conducted during the post-test among the experimental group. The results of this pilot study suggest the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral multicomponent intervention on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and depression in the IPV victims from the experimental group. We conclude that these findings support the efficacy of this psychological intervention program. Practical implications and suggestions are also discussed.

Stay-Leave Decision-Making Among Women Victims of Domestic Violence in Israel: Background, Interactional, and Environmental Factors.

The study examined the factors that contribute to stay-leave decision-making of women who are domestic violence victims, focusing on background factors (origin, education, and occupational status); interactional factors (severity of violence, previous separations, and previous stays in a shelter); and social factors (social support and woman's expectations of the shelter). In addition, it examined the contribution of the interaction of woman's expectations of the shelter × psychological violence to the woman's decision to leave/stay with her partner. Six months after returning to the community, 221 women who had stayed in a shelter for at least 3 months were located: 92 were Israeli-born Jews (41.6%), 49 were Israeli-born Arabs (22.2%), 51 were Former Soviet Union immigrants (23.1%), and 29 were Ethiopian immigrants (13.1%). Of them, 56.6% reported returning to their partners, and 43.4% reported leaving their partners. Education, occupational status, psychological violence severity, previous shelter stays, familial support, and expectations of having concrete needs fulfilled by the shelter made a significant contribution to the woman's leaving the abusive relationship. Furthermore, Israeli Arab women were more likely to stay with their partners. Finally, the interaction of the expectation that concrete needs would be met × psychological violence made a significant contribution to leaving the relationship. The study emphasizes the need to expand the resources of domestically abused women and also highlights specific groups requiring special attention upon shelter entry: Arab women, women who previously stayed in shelters, and women characterized by a lack of resources and a high degree of psychological violence.

Impact of mild traumatic brain injury on physical, mental and cognitive functioning of abused women admitted to emergency units.

Limited studies exist on women's mild traumatic brain injury received from episode of intimate partner violence. This study aims to identify the occurrence of intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury in Chinese women admitted to emergency units; and examine the physical, mental, and cognitive functioning of abused women with mild traumatic brain injury related to violent episodes. Eighty-six Chinese abused women presenting at emergency units in four major local hospitals in Hong Kong between January 2014 and December 2016 were recruited. They were admitted for the treatment of intimate partner violence-related physical injuries and were screened for traumatic brain injury by the emergency unit nurses at triage. Participants were assessed for traumatic brain injury based on the definition from US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, post-concussion physical symptoms, anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life, and cognitive functioning. Structured multiphase regression was used to examine the impact of intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury on physical, mental, and cognitive functioning of participants. We found that 24.4% of participants had intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury. There were significantly more severe post-concussion physical symptoms in abused women with intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury than those without mild traumatic brain injury (estimate = 18.7, 95% CI = 10.9 to 26.6, p < 0.001). The Mental Component Summary was also significantly associated with intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury (estimate = -7.9, 95% CI = -13.8 to -2.1, p = 0.009). Regarding cognitive functioning, the mean total test scores indicated that both groups were cognitively abnormal and there was no significant impact from mild traumatic brain injury. This study provides evidence on the impact of mild traumatic brain injury and implications in screening for mild traumatic brain injury and early intervention for improving quality of life in abused women.

Stereotypes About Battered Women and Victim's Self-Defense: Legal Implications.

Recent research on the practices of justice operators with women victims of intimate partner violence has evidenced the existence of gender stereotypes and gender-blind practices in the Spanish legal system (Albertín et al., 2020; García Jiménez et al., 2019, 2020), as well as the graves consequences that such practices imply for these women. In this context, the present study explored the existence of a battered woman stereotype and its variation when the victim defends herself from the abuser. An opportunity sample of 505 undergraduates of Law, Psychology and other studies from two Spanish universities assessed some personality characteristics of a woman after watching a 1-minute-long silent video. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three observation conditions ("control", "victim" or "self-defense victim"), which differed in the previous information given about the target woman. The Principal Components Analysis reduced the information from the questionnaire to three dimensions: "brittleness" (α = .91), "positive" (α = .786), and "hostile" (α = .809). The MANOVA confirmed the battered woman stereotype and its modification when the victim reacts against the abuser in self-defense: in this case the attribution of brittleness decreases and the attribution of hostility increases. The type of academic training showed significant effects on the stereotype, this being more negative among Law students than among Psychology ones. Law students perceive the target woman in the "victim" condition more hostile and manipulator. As for the "self-defense" condition, Law students attribute less brittleness to the victim, and perceive her more manipulator and dangerous. The effect of the observer's gender on the stereotype is consistent with the previous literature. Implications for professional training and judicial practices are discussed.

'I will rather be killed by corona than by him ': Experiences of abused women seeking shelter during South Africa's COVID-19 lockdown.

BACKGROUND: In April 2020, the United Nations predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a 'calamitous' impact on the lives of women. This was based on concerns about an upsurge in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) arising from increased opportunities for relational conflict due to forced co-existence and therefore additional time spent with abusive partners. AIM: Research has shown an increase in IPV during times of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated unprecedented circumstances and stress, and opportunities to do research to understand whether the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on IPV experiences were limited. Thus, the present study aimed to understand women's experiences of being in and leaving an abusive relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Individual, telephonic interviews were conducted with 16 women living in domestic violence shelters within three Provinces during South Africa's lockdown period. RESULTS: Findings reveal that the public health measures implemented by the South African Government to curb the spread of the virus, may have placed vulnerable groups at increased risk of violence. Specifically, lockdown likely magnified the risk for escalation of abuse in families already experiencing IPV prior to COVID-19. The study highlights an IPV and COVID-19 relationship, showing that the gender insensitive pandemic control measures, such as stay at home orders and travel restrictions, likely placed women at risk of increased abuse. Given the recurrency of COVID-19 epidemic waves, attention must be given to gender disparities or many South African women may experience worse outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study reminds us that being ordered to stay at home is not always the safest option for women and thus, in a country with one of the highest levels of GBV, it becomes imperative to ensure that IPV safeguards are integrated into COVID-19 measures. It also becomes evident that COVID-19 requires enhanced ways of responding by paying attention to gender disparities.

Live Q&A on violence against women in time of COVID-19

Help-Seeking Among Battered Immigrant Filipina, Indian, and Pakistani Women in the United States: Perceived Barriers and Helpful Responses.

This study examines the nature of helpful responses received and barriers to seeking help following the experience of intimate partner violence among women of Filipina, Indian, and Pakistani descent (N = 143) in the United States. Instead of aggregating women from diverse backgrounds, we investigated these groups of women separately. A content analysis found that while emotional support was the most helpful response, there were important variations by ethnicity and immigration position in the perceived helpfulness of various assistance resources as well as barriers to help-seeking. This study of disaggregated Asian immigrant groups enhances our understanding of both common and unique challenges faced by each immigrant group, which can inform development of socioculturally relevant intervention programs.

Dependence in adult relationships: Latent classes of relational dependence and associated outcomes in women exposed to intimate partner abuse.

OBJECTIVE: Studies applying a betrayal trauma theory (BTT) framework to adult abuse have measured dependence by asking about the closeness of the victim-offender relationship. However, women's experiences of dependence may vary even in close victim-offender relationships, such as in the case of abuse perpetrated by intimate partners. This investigation assessed whether subgroups of women who were abused by intimate partners could be identified based on dependence characteristics. Further, we evaluated whether high-dependence subgroups were more likely to experience outcomes associated with BTT. METHOD: Using latent class analysis (LCA), we examined classes of dependence in a non-treatment-seeking community sample of 236 women who reported intimate partner abuse (IPA) to police. The validity of the dependence classes was evaluated from a BTT perspective using the classes to predict empirically supported betrayal-trauma outcomes. RESULTS: Low-, medium-, and high-dependence subgroups emerged when dependence characteristics were analyzed using LCA. As hypothesized, greater dependence was linked with increased likelihood of women maintaining the relationship with the offender, higher self-report dissociation scores, and greater service disengagement. Counter to study hypotheses, dependence subgroups were unrelated to women's revictimization and self-reported memory for the target IPA incident 12 months later. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that dependence can vary even in close adult relationships. Further, we identified links between dependence subgroups and outcomes predicted by BTT. Implications for BTT research and IPA victim support and intervention are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting changes in PTSD and depression among female intimate partner violence survivors during shelter residency: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are comorbid consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV), and models explain this comorbidity via an intrinsic relationship between them. The current study posits that changes in both disorders may provide a clearer picture regarding the interrelations between them. We examined mutual contributions of changes in PTSD and depression to each other. The comorbidity was examined through known risk and protective factors related to both disorders among IPV survivors: perception of danger, helplessness, and peer support. METHOD: Sample included 146 female IPV survivors residing in 12 shelters in Israel between September 2009 and April 2014. Self-report questionnaires were completed upon entrance to the shelter and before departure. Analysis included 2 regressions, in which the change-score dependent variable of the first appeared as a regressor in the second and vice versa. RESULTS: The regression designed to explore the contribution of changes in depression to PTSD-change explained 48% of the variance, while the regression designed to explore the contribution of changes in PTSD explained 67% of the variance. Changes in both PTSD (ß = .14, p = .014) and depression (ß = .014, p = .05) contributed similarly to changes in each other, suggesting covariance within IPV-related variables. In addition, the contribution of Arab ethnicity to changes in PTSD was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The current study's contribution is in identifying covariance between PTSD and depression along time within the context of variables related to IPV. Clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Violência psicológica contra a mulher praticada por parceiro íntimo: estudo transversal em uma área rural do Rio Grande do Sul, 2017 / Violencia psicológica contra la mujer por parte de una pareja íntima: un estudio transversal en una zona rural de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2017 / Psychological violence against women practiced by intimate partners: a cross-sectional study in a rural area of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 2017

Objetivo: Estimar a prevalência e fatores associados à violência psicológica praticada por parceiro íntimo contra a mulher residente em zona rural do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 2017. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional, com mulheres de 18-49 anos que tiveram parceiro íntimo na vida. Foram aplicadas questões do World Health Organization Violence Against Women Study. Utilizou-se regressão de Poisson para estimar razões de prevalências (RP) e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Participaram 971 mulheres, com prevalência de violência psicológica de 17,2% (IC95% 14,9;19,7) na vida. Aquelas com diagnóstico de depressão (RP=2,23 - IC95% 1,70;2,91) e que consumiram álcool na última semana (RP=1,53 - IC95% 1,07;2,17) tiveram maior probabilidade de referir violência psicológica na vida; as solteiras apresentaram maior probabilidade dessa natureza de violência, comparadas às casadas (RP=1,86 - IC95% 1,32;2,63). Conclusão: Violência psicológica contra a mulher na zona rural relacionou-se com agravos na saúde mental e com uso de álcool.

Objetivo: Estimar la prevalencia y factores asociados a la violencia psicológica practicada por pareja contra mujeres residentes en una zona rural del estado de Rio Grande do Sul, en 2017. Métodos: Estudio poblacional transversal realizado con mujeres de 18-49 años que tuvieron pareja íntima en la vida. Se aplicaron preguntas del World Health Organization Violence Against Women Study. La regresión de Poisson ha sido usada para estimar razones de prevalencia (RP) e intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). Resultados: Participaron 971 mujeres con prevalencia de 17,2% (IC95% 14,9;19,7) de violencia psicológica en la vida. Aquellas con depresión (RP=2,23 - IC95% 1,70;2,91) y que habían consumido alcohol en la última semana tenían más probabilidades de referir violencia psicológica en la vida (RP=1,53 - IC95% 1,07;2,17). Mujeres solteras tenían más probabilidades de violencia psicológica en sus vidas que las casadas (RP=1,86 - IC95% 1,32;2,63). Conclusión: La violencia psicológica contra la mujer en las zonas rurales, tuvo relación con la salud mental y el consumo de alcohol.

Objective: To estimate prevalence and factors associated with intimate partner psychological violence against women in a rural area in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in 2017. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based study with women aged 18-49 years old and who had had an intimate partner in their lifetime. Questions from the World Health Organization Violence Against Women Study were administered. Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: 971 women participated. Prevalence of lifetime psychological violence was 17.2% (95%CI 14.9;19.7). Those diagnosed with depression (PR=2.23 - 95%CI 1.70;2.91) and who had consumed alcohol in the last week were more likely to refer lifetime psychological violence (PR=1.53 - 95%CI 1.07;2.17). Single women were more likely to experience psychological violence than married women (PR=1.86 - 95%CI 1.32;2.63). Conclusion: Psychological violence against woman in rural areas was related to mental health and alcohol use.

Validación de la versión corta del Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) en población general / Validation of the short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) in the general population

OBJETIVO: Realizar una validación concurrente de la versión corta del Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), un instrumento utilizado en la detección de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer, estimando los índices de validez en población general. MÉTODO: La fuente de información fue la tercera Encuesta de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer de la Comunidad de Madrid de 2014, realizada a mujeres de 18 a 70 años. Como referencia se utilizó la definición de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer basada en un cuestionario de 26 preguntas. La versión corta del WAST incluye dos preguntas con tres respuestas posibles. Se calculan y comparan la prevalencia de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer y los índices de validez del cuestionario según dos criterios de puntuación con intervalos de confianza del 95% (IC95%). RESULTADOS: La tasa de respuesta fue del 60%. Se analizaron 2979 encuestas. La prevalencia de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer fue del 7,6% (IC95%: 6,6-8,5%). Se encontró un 21,1% (IC95%: 19,6-22,5) de test positivos según el criterio 1 y un 11,0% (IC95%: 9,9-12,1) según el criterio 2. El criterio 2 presentó una mayor eficiencia global del test (81,5% [IC95%: 80,1-82,9] para el criterio 1 vs. 88,8% [IC95%:87,7-89,9] para el criterio 2). Los mejores índices se obtuvieron en mujeres a partir de 30 años de edad. CONCLUSIONES: La versión reducida del cuestionario WAST presentó índices de validez aceptables para ser utilizados como cuestionario de cribado de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer. Recomendamos utilizar el criterio 2 de puntuación en la estimación de la prevalencia de violencia de pareja hacia la mujer en encuestas dirigidas a población general

OBJECTIVE: To perform a concurrent validation of the short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), used to detect intimate partner violence, estimating the validity indexes in the general population. METHOD: The information source was the third Intimate partner violence survey in the Region of Madrid (Spain) conducted on women aged 18-70 in 2014. As the gold standard we used the definition of intimate partner violence based on a 26- question survey. The short version of WAST includes two questions with three possible answers. The prevalence of intimate partner violence and the validity indexes were calculated and compared according to two scoring criteria with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: The response rate was 60.0%, and 2979 surveys were analysed. The prevalence of intimate partner violence was 7.6% (95%CI: 6.6-8.5). We showed 21.1% (95%CI: 19.6-22.5) positive test results according to WAST criterion 1 and 11.0% (95%CI: 9.9-12.1) according to criterion 2. Criterion 2 presented higher overall efficiency of the test (81.5% [95%CI: 80.1-82.9] criterion 1 vs. 88.8% [95%CI: 87.7-89.9] criterion 2). The best indexes were obtained in women ≥30 years old. CONCLUSIONS: The short version of the WAST showed acceptable validity indexes for use as a screening tool of intimate partner violence in the general population. We recommend using scoring criterion 2 to estimate prevalence of intimate partner violence in surveys on the general population

Disrespect and Abuse during Childbirth in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Disrespect and abuse are recognized for the restricting impact of women from seeking maternal care, psychological humiliations, grievances, and unspoken sufferings on women during childbirth. Individual primary studies are limited in explaining of extent of disrespect and abusive care. Hence, this review considers the synthesis of comprehensive evidence on the extent, contributing factors, and consequences of disrespectful and abusive intrapartum care from the women's and providers' perspectives in Ethiopia. METHODS: Articles had been systematically searched from the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, POPLINE, Google Scholar, HINARI, African Journals Online, and WHO Global Health Library. A qualitative and quantitative synthesis was performed using the Bowser and Hill landscape analytical framework. RESULT: Twenty-two studies comprised of the 16 quantitative; 5 qualitative and one mixed studies were included. The most repeatedly dishonored right during facility-based childbirth in Ethiopia was nondignified care, and the least commonly reported abuse was detention in health facilities. These behaviors were contributed by normalization of care, lack of empowerment and education of women, weak health system, and lack of training of providers. Women subjected to disrespectful and abusive behavior distanced themselves from the use of facility-based childbirth-related services and have endured psychological humiliations. CONCLUSION: Disrespectful and abusive care of women during childbirth is repeatedly practiced care in Ethiopia. This result specifically described the contributing factors and their effects as a barrier to the utilization of facility-based childbirth. Therefore, to overcome this alarming problem, health systems and care providers must be responsive to the specific needs of women during childbirth, and implementing policies for standard care of respectful maternity care must be compulsory. In addition, observational, qualitative, and mixed types of studies are required to provide comprehensive evidences on disrespect and abusive behavior during childbirth in Ethiopia.

Violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative review.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, incipient data have revealed an increase in violence against women (VAW). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the existing scientific literature on strategies and recommendations to respond to VAW during the implementation of social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. SEARCH STRATEGY: An integrative review was conducted based on articles published between December 2019 and June 2020. Suitable articles were identified from the PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases, using relevant terms. SELECTION CRITERIA: Eligible studies included opinion and primary research articles describing the dynamics of VAW during quarantine and in the context of the restrictive measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and proposing recommendations to respond to this issue. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted from eligible publications and qualitative synthesis was used. MAIN RESULTS: The 38 articles included in the study showed that some factors increasing women's vulnerabilities to violence were exacerbated during the social distancing and lockdown period. Health professionals are essential for screening and responding to VAW during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies must include integrated actions aiming to prevent and respond to violence during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These must be designed based on lessons learned from previous public health emergencies.

Violence against Women in a Slum Area in Helwan, Cairo, Egypt: A Community Based Survey.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women (VAW) is a major global public health problem with serious consequences. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of VAW aged 18-45 yr in a slum area in Helwan, Cairo, to assess their knowledge and perspective regarding VAW, and to assess their help-seeking practice in response to violence. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional design. METHODS: This community based survey was carried out among 657 women in a slum area in Helwan, Cairo, Egypt in 2018. Data about the women's knowledge about VAW, exposure to different forms of violence and their frequency, women's perspective towards violence, and their healthcare-seeking behavior on exposure to violence were collected using an interviewing questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of exposure to at least one type of intimate partner violence (IPV) was 59.1% with psychological violence ranking 1st followed by physical violence. Most women exposed to IPV reported that they have never asked for healthcare upon exposure to violence. One third had good knowledge. Most had favorable perspective against VAW. CONCLUSION: Most women suffered some kind of violence. They, however, did not seek help most of the time.

Domestic violence against women and the COVID-19 pandemic: What is the role of psychiatry?

A heightened risk of domestic violence has been associated with infection-reducing measures undertaken by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatric services can play a key role in addressing this issue by (a) addressing certain risk factors for perpetration of domestic violence through, for example, assertive identification and management of substance misuse; (b) providing support, advocacy and treatment services for victims of domestic violence; and (c) multi-agency working to strengthen medical and social responses to domestic violence. At a time like this, it is important that multi-disciplinary mental health services are strengthened, rather than depleted, in order to address the pressing issues at hand.