Search Results (525)

Introduction: This study explores obstetric providers’ perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in the Chinese clinical setting, guided by the social–ecological model. Methods: Purposive sampling was employed to recruit eight obstetricians and 12 obstetric nurses from a tertiary general hospital in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2024 and September 2025. Results: Guided by the social–ecological model, this study examines factors influencing healthcare professionals’ engagement in intimate partner violence screening across four levels. A multilevel framework was distilled; four key themes were identified, including the intrapersonal level, interpersonal level, institutional level and community and policy level. (1) The intrapersonal level—healthcare professionals’ competence (knowledge base, communication skills, role identity, screening attitudes, and diagnostic ability); (2) the interpersonal level—interdisciplinary collaboration (internal referrals and external support); (3) the institutional level—hospital screening efficacy (screening resources and management systems); and (4) the community and policy level—social environment (policy support, educational resources, and cultural context). Conclusions: Multilevel factors impact IPV screening in China. These results indicate that a multidimensional model of intervention should be designed to promote IPV screening in China, including integrating IPV curricula into mandatory medical student training, enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration, conducting public education on IPV, implementing socio-cultural adjustments, challenging authoritative attitudes, and providing comprehensive social support. Full article

Background/Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem associated with adverse mental health outcomes among women. Although prior research has focused on psychological distress (PD), mental well-being (MWB) is a distinct dimension of mental health that has received less attention in IPV research, particularly in clinical samples. Childhood trauma (CT) and self-compassion (SC) may contribute to variability in IPV-related outcomes. This study examined associations between IPV and MWB, considering SC, PD, and CT within an integrated framework. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 340 married women aged 18–65 years attending psychiatric outpatient clinics completed self-report measures of IPV, CT, SC, PD, and MWB. Hierarchical regression analyses examined predictors of MWB, and conditional process analysis tested moderated serial mediation models evaluating indirect associations of IPV with MWB through SC and PD, with CT as moderator. Results: SC subscales accounted for the largest incremental variance in MWB (ΔR² = 0.256 and 0.294, both p < 0.001), exceeding contributions of IPV and CT. CT moderated the IPV–SC association (B = 0.0052, 95% CI (0.0008, 0.0097), p = 0.022), but not the IPV–PD pathway. IPV showed indirect associations with MWB through SC and PD. Conclusions: These findings suggest that IPV-related mental health outcomes may be better understood within an integrative framework including vulnerability-related factors and psychological resources. Clinically, routine assessment of IPV, CT, SC, PD, and MWB together may help clinicians develop more comprehensive, trauma-informed and self-compassion-focused care plans for women in psychiatric outpatient settings.: Full article

Despite intimate partner violence (IPV) being a global issue, research on societal attitudes focuses on victim-survivor over and above perpetrator characteristics. Across two studies, we investigated whether judgements (measured across victim blame, perceived criminality, and anticipated harm) differed as a function of perpetrator sex (male, female) and whether the perpetrator reported a general (Study 1: n = 183) or specific (physical, mental) disability (Study 2: n = 237). After controlling for variation in personality, beliefs, and demographics, we consistently observed punitive judgements (i.e., less victim blame, and higher perceived criminality and anticipated harm) for vignettes depicting the perpetrator as male and not disabled. Findings are discussed within frameworks that examine the intersection of disability and violence, and how typical depictions of perpetrators of IPV mitigate the recognition of IPV and the minimisation thereof. We call for an international, qualitative exploration into the role of disability in IPV through the experiences of victim-survivors and perpetrators, and further interrogation into how disability in this context impacts victim-blame reduction interventions, support provision, and legal system responses. Full article

Intimate partner violence is a public health and human rights issue that must be addressed and measured to inform care and prevention efforts. The Violence Scale (EV) is used to assess different types of violence; however, there is no evidence of its validity and reliability in Colombia, nor are there specific studies on men. Objective: To evaluate the metric properties of the Partner Violence Scale (EV, by its Spanish acronym) in men within the Colombian community context. Methodology: Content validation was carried out with expert judges and victims of partner violence. Subsequently, the EV was tested on a sample of 1293 Colombian men who had not reported/denounced partner violence. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed using rival models to evaluate the best-fitting factor structure, along with mean variance extracted analysis as an indicator of convergent validity and reliability analysis. Results: Every tested structure for organizing intimate partner violence showed adequate fit indicators (CFI > 0.95; TLI > 0.95). However, the lowest level of error was evident in the five-factor structure (psychological, physical, severe physical, economic, and sexual violence; RMSEA = 0.009; SRMR = 0.080). All items were loaded by the factor to which they belong, and all loadings were significant (p < 0.005). The extracted mean variances exceeded 40%, and there were high reliability indicators for the total test (>0.94) and for each factor (>0.70). Conclusion: The Violence Scale(EV) provides adequate evidence of validity and reliability to be used as a tool for assessing violent behaviors experienced by Colombian men. Its use is recommended as an instrument for highlighting violence that has been normalized due to the socio-cultural barriers that men face. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly proposed to augment early-stage assistance for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), including intimate partner and domestic violence, across crisis hotlines, specialist services, digital reporting channels, legal support tools and healthcare pathways. However, the scope, maturity and evaluative strength of the peer-reviewed evidence remain uncertain. We aimed to map the application domains, evaluative maturity, and implementation and safety gaps of this evidence base. Methods: We conducted a scoping review reported according to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), using a Population–Concept–Context framework focused on AI-enabled first-response and early support. Searches in Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed were supplemented by targeted searches of IEEE Xplore and ACM Digital Library. Records were screened against predefined criteria, charted using a structured form and synthesised descriptively. Results: Original searches yielded 187 records and 21 included sources of evidence. The supplementary search identified 539 records/candidates; 27 full texts were assessed and 6 additional sources met eligibility criteria, yielding 27 included sources of evidence. Evidence covered survivor-facing conversational support; screening and triage in emergency and specialist services; social-triage and online disclosure models; survivor-informed help-seeking and chatbot design; legal/support routing; and enabling modalities such as speech-based approaches. Most sources reported technical performance, usability, acceptability or systems-audit findings, while no workflow-integrated evaluation was identified and survivor-centred effectiveness outcomes, service uptake and adverse-event monitoring were rarely reported. Conclusions: The evidence remains heterogeneous and early-stage, with limited support for service-integrated effectiveness or safety. Included sources more often assessed models, interfaces or prototypes than downstream pathway outcomes. The findings support cautious, pathway-aware interpretation and identify recurring concerns regarding escalation, accountability, equity, digital trace safety and human handover. The proposed practice considerations and outcome domains are author-informed priorities for future pilot and implementation studies, not validated guidelines. Full article

Sustained maternal HIV viral-load (VL) suppression during breastfeeding is essential for eliminating vertical HIV transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although vertical transmission prevention programmes have improved antiretroviral therapy coverage and peripartum outcomes, viral control may deteriorate after delivery. This decline may result from psychosocial stressors, fragmented mother–infant services, and delayed return of results. This review examines post-delivery VL dynamics, breastfeeding-associated transmission risk, and the limitations of binary suppression thresholds. We suggest that post-delivery VL monitoring should be implemented as a rapid-action pathway. In this approach, detectable viraemia during breastfeeding should prompt a timely reassessment of adherence and repeat VL testing. Regimen review and additional measures to reduce the risks for both the mother and infant should be implemented where indicated. We also examine the individual, relational, structural, and health system determinants of post-delivery viraemia and lost to follow-up, including intimate partner violence. Finally, we highlight service delivery innovations that may improve maternal VL suppression and HIV-free infant survival rates. Full article

Men’s incarceration disrupts their intimate relationships by destabilising their masculine identity built on autonomy, virility, and the role of the provider. This article examines how incarcerated men respond to this destabilisation within their intimate relationships and how penal policies shape these responses. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in prisons in France and Spain, this article combines participant observation with semi-structured interviews involving incarcerated men and prison professionals. The analysis shows that incarceration initially produces jealousy among incarcerated individuals and drives attempts to control female partners, as men seek to reassert their threatened masculine position within the relationship—a trend observed across both countries. However, these dynamics develop differently in each country over time. In France, the state’s limited and inconsistent implementation of policies addressing gender and violence against women allows control-oriented practices within couples to persist, often taking the form of coercive control. In Spain, by contrast, gender-focused prison policies and rehabilitation programs aim to foster emotional reflexivity and self-regulation, leading to incarcerated individuals seeking to gain control over their self rather than their romantic partners. These findings suggest that prison policies shape men’s intimate relationships and may contribute to reducing violent behaviours and fostering more respectful forms of intimacy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Fear of childbirth may begin before pregnancy and may be shaped by earlier traumatic and relational experiences. This study examined the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and prior-to-pregnancy fear of childbirth among non-pregnant women and considered its implications for preconception and obstetric care. Methods: This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted online in Türkiye between 1 January and 31 May 2025 after approval from the Non-Interventional Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Istanbul Atlas University (23 December 2024; No. 10/07). The sample comprised 125 nulligravid women, defined as women who had never previously been pregnant, who were aged 18 years or older, were not currently pregnant, were living with an intimate partner, were literate in Turkish, and reported no psychiatric disorder. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Husband Violence Against Women Scale (HVWAS), and the Fear of Childbirth Prior to Pregnancy Scale (FCPPS). Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed. Results: The mean age of participants was 28.84 ± 5.47 years. The mean HVWAS score was 46.11 ± 12.51, and the mean FCPPS score was 36.05 ± 13.56. HVWAS scores were weakly positively correlated with prior-to-pregnancy fear of childbirth (rho = 0.207, p = 0.020). An exploratory association was observed between educational level and HVWAS scores (p = 0.019); however, the educational subgroups were highly unequal in size. No significant association was found between educational level and FCPPS scores (p = 0.219). Conclusions: Higher HVWAS scores were weakly associated with greater prior-to-pregnancy fear of childbirth. Because of the cross-sectional design, the direction and causality of this association cannot be determined. Confidential assessment of IPV and childbirth-related fear during preconception counseling and women’s health encounters may assist in identifying women who could benefit from further psychosocial evaluation and support. Full article

Spirituality and religiosity are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing mental health, particularly among women exposed to diverse vulnerabilities such as interpersonal violence, trauma, HIV infection, homelessness, and socioeconomic disadvantage. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the associations between spiritual or religious resources and mental health outcomes in these populations. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science to identify studies examining the association between spirituality, religiosity, and mental health outcomes in vulnerable women. A total of 28 studies were identified, including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and mixed-methods designs, which measured spirituality and religiosity using validated instruments such as SWBS, DUREL, FACIT-Sp-12, and Brief RCOPE, alongside standardized mental health measures. Narrative synthesis revealed that the majority of studies (n = 15) reported that higher spiritual well-being, intrinsic religiosity, and adaptive religious coping were associated with lower depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, and with higher resilience, quality of life, and post-traumatic growth. These associations appeared to be shaped by contextual factors, including the type and severity of trauma, cultural and religious frameworks, and the lived experiences of the populations studied. Negative associations were primarily linked to negative religious coping (n = 5 studies), rather than religiosity per se. Additional factors that attenuated or reversed the expected positive effects included higher trauma severity or ongoing adversity (n = 4), reactive patterns in which greater psychological distress was associated with increased use of religious coping (n = 3), maladaptive religious beliefs such as interpretations of trauma as divine punishment (n = 2), and cultural or contextual influences (n = 3). Overall, the evidence suggests that spirituality and specific dimensions of religiosity (e.g., intrinsic religiosity, religious coping) can support mental health among vulnerable women, though personal, cultural, and situational factors shape their impact. These findings suggest the potential value of integrating spiritual resources into interventions and the need for further longitudinal and culturally sensitive research. Full article

Background: Education and employment are widely promoted as pathways to reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) through enhanced economic independence and bargaining power. However, evidence from settings characterised by entrenched gender inequalities suggests that these structural factors may not uniformly translate into protection. This study examines whether education and employment are associated with women’s experiences of IPV in South Africa. Methods: This study utilised nationally representative data from the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey (N = 2354). Education and employment were used as structural proxies for women’s socioeconomic positioning. Survey-adjusted logistic regression models were employed to estimate associations between these factors and lifetime IPV, controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics. Given the cross-sectional design and the use of lifetime IPV alongside contemporaneous measures of education and employment, findings are interpreted as associative rather than causal. Results: Education and employment were not significantly associated with women’s likelihood of experiencing IPV. Women with these characteristics were not less likely to report emotional, physical, or sexual violence compared to those without them. IPV prevalence was higher among women aged 25–34, those with secondary education, and those in lower wealth households. Marital status emerged as a strong correlate, with separated and divorced women facing substantially higher odds of IPV. Discussion: The absence of a significant association suggests that education and employment alone may be insufficient to reduce IPV risk in contexts where gender norms and relational power imbalances remain entrenched. These findings may also reflect the limitations of using structural indicators as proxies for empowerment, as such measures do not capture decision-making power, control over resources, or intra-household dynamics. Conclusions: Interventions to reduce IPV should extend beyond improving women’s access to education and employment to address relational, normative, and structural drivers of violence. Multidimensional approaches that incorporate gender-transformative strategies and strengthen women’s substantive agency are likely to be more effective. Full article

Background and Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern, with nearly one in three women experiencing rape, physical assault, stalking, emotional manipulation, or a combination of these behaviors in their lifetime. As an often neglected cause of injury worldwide, IPV is underreported and not well recognized by healthcare professionals. Employment has been identified as a key factor in women’s successful disentanglement from IPV. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the factors that influenced women who had experienced IPV, established a career path, and successfully disentangled from IPV. Materials and Methods: Women who experienced IPV were recruited from a local university. Results: Ten female participants completed open-ended interviews (mean age = 47, SD = 10.25). Five main themes emerged as the most important in disentangling from their abusive situation: tipping point, grit, religion, children, and education/career. The main theme or step in the process that led to disentanglement was the tipping point. Once the tipping point had been reached, participants moved toward disentanglement. Conclusions: Disentanglement from IPV was enhanced for women who reached a tipping point of abuse. Full article

Violence against women and intimate partner violence in particular are recognized as significant social issues. This article explores the dynamic interplay between intimate partner violence, public opinion, and legislative changes in Bulgaria. The data we used were collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups with professionals working on issues of domestic violence and violence against women in Bulgaria. Using a specific case of violence as an example, the study argues that public pressure is a catalyst for changes in the legal framework for protection against domestic violence. However, the findings suggest a propensity for certain measures to be influenced by penal populism, often taking on the characteristics of symbolic policymaking—declaring political commitment, but showing vulnerabilities in their practical application. In this context, the perspective of policy implementation and unintended consequences reveals how gaps in institutional capacity, coordination, and enforcement produced outcomes that differed from those declared publicly. The article concludes that an integrated approach going beyond penal populism and symbolic policy demonstrations is necessary. To effectively combat domestic and intimate partner violence in Bulgaria, there is a need for a long-term strategy that considers the intricate relationships between public attitudes, policymaking, and the actual implementation of legislation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence/intimate partner violence (IPV) often require support beyond the immediate emergency encounter; however, post-acute care remains inconsistently defined, unevenly organised or conceptualised, and fragmented across service systems. This scoping review mapped international post-acute follow-up, care, assistance, and support pathways, with particular attention to organisational models, continuity mechanisms, loss to follow-up after first access, and implications for the Italian context. Methods: We conducted an international health-services scoping review of post-acute follow-up, care, assistance, and support interventions for survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence/IPV. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, APA PsycINFO via EBSCOhost, and CINAHL via EBSCOhost. Eligible studies were published from 2013 onward and had to describe an identifiable post-acute component beyond the initial emergency, forensic, or first-contact phase. The review followed a Population–Concept–Context framework and was reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Results: Forty-four studies were included in the core synthesis, comprising 16 studies on sexual violence/sexual assault, 27 on domestic violence/IPV, and one mixed domestic, family, and sexual violence outreach model. The sexual violence literature clustered around early trauma-focused interventions, sexual assault care centre pathways, medical follow-up, follow-up attendance, and digital continuity tools. The IPV literature was broader and included psychotherapy, advocacy and case-management models, housing-first and trauma-informed stabilisation approaches, nurse-led and clinic-based services, outreach and safety-contact programmes, digital interventions, and programmes for system-involved survivors. Across both fields, the pathways most consistently described as supporting continuity combined structured re-contact, coordinated support, and multi-component responses over time. Conclusions: The mapped literature supports conceptualising post-acute responses to sexual violence and domestic violence/IPV as continuity pathways that extend beyond first contact and link healthcare, psychological, advocacy, and social supports. Systems may be better positioned to support continuity when they provide structured follow-up, warm handoffs, coordinated navigation, and context-sensitive recovery models. These findings point to provisional, evidence-informed organisational questions for strengthening post-acute pathways, including in Italy, particularly around structured re-contact, warm handoffs, survivor navigation, and integration between healthcare, anti-violence, psychological, and territorial social-support services. Full article

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects individuals of all genders and can result in adverse physical, psychological, and social outcomes. Experiences of IPV in men remain understudied when compared with those of cisgender women, leading to considerable gaps in understanding of prevalence, experiences, disclosure, and outcomes. The Male Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Study (ME-IPV Study) was designed to explore: nature of IPV experiences, physical and psychological impacts, barriers to reporting/disclosing, experiences of disclosure, experiences of support, and support needs in a Northern Ireland (NI) context. This mixed-method study utilised data from N = 10 qualitative interview participants (quantitative results reported separately), analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. Participants described experiencing multiple forms of IPV, with coercive control, psychological and institutional abuse being highly prevalent. Detrimental effects of their experiences included diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, physical symptomology, the advent/exacerbation of multiple health conditions, and suicidal ideation. Barriers to care were primarily a lack of dedicated care pathway, concerns over being believed, and stigmatic barriers. Experiences of disclosure were mixed: positive with family/friends and negative with police and institutions of state. Male experiences of IPV in NI are a significant public health issue and it is evident that the impacts of IPV on men’s physical/mental health and wellbeing are profound. Full article

In Paul Dukas’s opera, Ariane et Barbe-Bleue, when the captive wives are allowed to leave their confinement, they refuse to do so and remain with their aggressor. This narrative raises a central question: why do some women remain in violent contexts even when apparent pathways for escape exist? This scoping review aims at analysing the psychological and social mechanisms of coercion employed by those who perpetrate violence, clearly stating the focus on the responsibility of the perpetrator and exploring diverse relationship settings. A total of 31 articles from diverse disciplines such as social psychology, sociology, education, and studies on coercive control have been examined to provide insight into: (1) the psychological and (2) social coercion mechanisms and (3) the influence of gender socialisation on perpetuating the subjugation of women. These mechanisms are analysed transversally across intimate partner relationships and coercive family and community systems. Findings reveal that across these geographically, culturally, and religiously diverse settings, as well as across the diverse relationships analysed, similar patterns of psychological and social coercion exist that are framed and reinforced by a gendered socialisation rooted in patriarchal gender roles. Full article