RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Intimate partner violence (IPV) involves an individual committing acts intended to harm or intimidate a current or former romantic partner. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders often trapped victims with perpetrators and intensified IPV. Although sexual and gender diverse people disproportionately experience IPV compared to cisgender, heterosexual people, their experiences are not well documented in the Canadian context. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sexual and gender diverse (2S/LGBTQIA+) people with IPV in Ontario and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their IPV experiences. METHODS: We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with self-identified 2S/LGBTQIA+ people who experienced IPV on/after March 15, 2020. We audio-recorded and transcribed all interviews and coded the transcripts for content and themes using inductive and deductive techniques. RESULTS: Our 20 participants experienced physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse. Technology-facilitated violence extended abuse geographically and temporally. IPV experiences were associated with negative mental health outcomes that were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants struggled to see themselves as legitimate victims of IPV. Although participants regretted being victims of violence, many saw their abusive relationship(s) as a learning experience to inform future relationships. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that 2S/LGBTQIA+ people may experience unique forms of identity abuse and may have difficulty recognizing their IPV experiences as abuse. Ensuring that comprehensive sexual health education is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and includes information about healthy relationship dynamics, 2S/LGBTQIA+ relationships, and IPV is critical.
RESUMO
Most people experience trauma at some point in their lives. The sources of trauma can include accidents, natural disasters, physical or sexual assault, combat, torture, or the death of a loved one. Experiencing or witnessing any of these, or other terrifying events, may make one susceptible to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a trauma- and stressor-related mental health condition. The common symptoms and consequences of PTSD include intrusive and distressing thoughts, memories, or flashbacks related to the traumatic event; avoidance of situations, people, or activities that remind one of the traumatic event; irritability, sleep difficulties, or hypervigilance; feelings of guilt, shame, or fear; substance use; strains on relationships; and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. These consequences can have devastating effects on the individual and their family members, friends, co-workers, peers, and communities. Effectively treating PTSD, therefore, is critical not only for the individual but also for the well-being of families, communities, and society at large. However, while treatments for PTSD exist, effectively treating patients with PTSD remains elusive. Further, despite the recognition that people's experiences are essential in understanding PTSD and provide valuable insights into what interventions are effective and how they impact recovery, patient perspectives and experiences of care and recovery have not been well-explored. We conducted a scoping review to address the following question: what is known about the experiences and perspectives of care and recovery for individuals with PTSD? We searched the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Embase, American Psychological Association's (APA) PsycInfo, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PTSDPubs, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed and grey literature that used qualitative methods to report on the recovery or care experiences of adults with lived experiences of PTSD. We extracted information about study objectives, study characteristics, and key findings; reported summary statistics; and performed content and thematic analyses. We identified 14 relevant studies that provide insight into the participants' lived experiences and perspectives of PTSD care and recovery. Though limited, the body of literature sheds light on critical themes and processes in the journey of care of PTSD, which we organized into four overarching categories: pre-treatment understanding and experiences of PTSD, the experience of care or treatment, the importance of relationships and social support, and expanding the understandings of recovery. Living with and healing from PTSD are a unique and individualized human experience of developing and redeveloping relationships with oneself, with others, and with society. The recommendations for practice include educating and establishing well-informed support networks for individuals with PTSD, training healthcare practitioners in all aspects of formal and informal PTSD treatment and care needs, ensuring a continuum of care, and understanding the human experience of PTSD.