scholarly journals Associations Between Unintended Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault in a population of Queensland Women

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Sharman ◽  
Heather Douglas ◽  
Elizabeth Price ◽  
Nicola Sheeran ◽  
Genevieve Dingle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
Contact Rates ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
First Contact

This study aimed to establish the proportion of women seeking information regarding unintended pregnancy in the context of domestic violence (DV) and/or sexual assault (SA) experiences in Queensland. Mental health, sociodemographic variables, and gestation at first and repeated contacts were examined for 6249 women primarily seeking information regarding abortion options during an unintended pregnancy over the five-year period from July 2012 to June 2017. Reports of DV and SA and associations with mental health issues increased significantly across the five years. First contact rates of disclosure were 12.2% for DV and 3% for SA, and higher among repeat contacts (38.1% for DV and 14.1% for SA), with recurring contact facilitating violence disclosure. Restricting access to abortions in the context of violence impedes a woman’s agency in attempts to separate from violence and highlights the need for safe, supportive, and accessible services, to assist in screening and assisting with violence.

scholarly journals Experiences of Reproductive Coercion in Queensland Women

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051984685
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Price ◽  
Leah S. Sharman ◽  
Heather A. Douglas ◽  
Nicola Sheeran ◽  
Genevieve A. Dingle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Unplanned Pregnancy ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Telephone Counseling ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Reproductive Coercion ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Reproductive coercion is any interference with a person’s reproductive autonomy that seeks to control if and when they become pregnant, and whether the pregnancy is maintained or terminated. It includes sabotage of contraceptive methods and intervention in a woman’s access to health care. Our study sought to explore the prevalence and associations with reproductive coercion within Queensland, Australia, where legislation addressing domestic violence and abortion are largely state based and undergoing a period of law reform. The study was a retrospective analysis of 3,117 Queensland women who contacted a telephone counseling and information service regarding an unplanned pregnancy. All data were collected by experienced counselors regarding circumstances within a current pregnancy between January 2015 and July 2017. Overall, experience of current domestic violence was significantly more likely to co-occur with reproductive coercion (21.1%) compared with reproductive coercion identified in the absence of other domestic violence (3.1%). Furthermore, significantly more mental health issues were reported by 36.6% of women affected by reproductive coercion, compared with 14.1% of women with no reproductive coercion present. Disclosure for reproductive coercion, violence, and mental health issues was much higher among women who made a repeat contact to the counselors about their pregnancy (17.8%) compared with those who disclosed at first contact (5.9%). These findings demonstrate the importance for health services to ensure that appropriate screening (and re-screening) for reproductive coercion is completed as a distinct part of screening for violence during a health care relationship.

Women: Overview

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Brandwein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Women In Politics ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Poverty And Inequality

This overview entry introduces the topic of women, beginning with general demographic information. The section on poverty and inequality, which follows, describes the gender differences and delineates some reasons why women are poor and unequal. Issues of childcare, welfare, and education are explored. Domestic violence and sexual assault are discussed, followed by a discussion of health and mental health issues affecting women. The role of women in politics is briefly explored. The entry concludes with a discussion of current trends and challenges, including implications for social justice.

scholarly journals DELICATE STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A REVIEW

2020 ◽  
pp. 142-145
Author(s):  
Pooja Malhotra ◽  
Jashandeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
Disease Characteristics ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Introduction: The novel corona virus (COVID-19), a pandemic, spread to around 198 countries, and has affected millions of people globally. The associated morbidity and mortality challenged the nations in several ways. One such unaddressed area is the mental health impact on the healthcare workers and staff during this pandemic. The review aims at summarizing the evidence of mental health issues of COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline healthcare workers (HCW’s). Materials and methods: A review of the literature of the mental health issues faced by the healthcare workers during the pandemic was done. Literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase; articles relevant to the subject, in the duration of last 8 months (Jan-2020 to Aug-2020) were reviewed. We have highlighted the most relevant data concerning the disease characteristics, personal and organizational factors that may have contributed to development of psychological changes, distress and mental health symptoms. Results: There is a generalized climate of wariness and uncertainty, particularly amongst the health professionals, which has been provoked by the disease characteristics of the current COVID-19 pandemic and various sociodemographic variables. Other factors included, rapid spread of disease, severity of symptoms, lack of knowledge of the disease, organizational factors and death among healthcare professionals. The mental health problems varied with respect to the sociodemographic variables like, gender, profession, age, place of work, social support and department of work. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 may be an independent risk factor for increase in stress, anxiety, burnout and depression amongst the healthcare professionals, which could have long-term psychological implications. Conclusion: It is of utmost importance to protect and ensure the mental health of the healthcare professionals, to address large scale health crisis. Therefore, planning of future prevention strategies is essential to promote mental well-being. Implementation to bolster response and prevention strategies by training healthcare professionals on crisis management and mental help. Evaluation of mental health status should be done by regular screening of the personnel by the multidisciplinary Psychiatry teams.

Mental Health Issues Among Female Clients of Domestic Violence Programs in North Carolina

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1036-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Moracco ◽  
Carrie L. Brown ◽  
Sandra L. Martin ◽  
Judy C. Chang ◽  
Lisa Dulli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Female Clients

Previously Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits: Characteristics of Kits with Victims under Eighteen

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-36
Author(s):  
Heather C. Melton ◽  
◽  
Summer Stewart ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Juvenile Delinquency ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Child Victims ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Police Report ◽  
Adolescent Victims

1 ADD TO CART Sexual assault continues to be a major societal and criminal issue. Particularly detrimental is sexual assault committed against children. Children who experience a sexual assault are likely to suffer from multiple negative outcomes including increasing their risk for juvenile delinquency and mental health issues. A sexual assault kit is one tool that the criminal justice system uses to bring justice for victims and hold offenders accountable for their behaviour. It provides often vital evidence that can potentially be used in the prosecution of these cases. Yet it has become clear that many sexual assaults are never submitted to crime laboratories for processing. This paper explores previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits of child/adolescent victims. Characteristics of the victims, the case, and the police report are explored. Additionally, these kits are compared to kits with an adult victim to further our understanding of the problem. Findings include: over 20% of the unsubmitted sexual assault kits had a victim under 18, the highest number of unsubmitted kits for children were for victims between the ages of 15-17, the majority of child victims knew their offenders, and cases associated with child kits were more likely to be moved forward at the time of the original incident (without the kit being submitted) than adult cases. Ultimately, the goal is to improve our overall response to all victims of sexual assault.

What Characterizes Vulnerability? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Service Provision for Survivors of Sexual Assault

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110063
Author(s):  
Maria Hardeberg Bach ◽  
Nina Beck Hansen ◽  
Maj Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Legal Outcomes ◽  
Trauma Informed

Although research indicates that specialized sexual assault (SA) services are effective in terms of promoting postassault recovery and improving legal outcomes, little is known about how to best support survivors facing co-occurring difficulties and inequalities (e.g., preexisting mental health issues, substance abuse, poverty). This deficiency in knowledge was also expressed by service providers at Danish SA centers (SACs), who described this using the term “vulnerable survivors.” Therefore, the present study aims to address this knowledge gap by exploring (a) how service providers understand vulnerability in the context of SA and (b) how service provision is currently approached for these survivors. Interviews were conducted with 18 service providers representing five professional groups (psychologists, social workers, forensic doctors, nurses, police) and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. A total of eight themes emerged from the analysis, including service providers’ descriptions of what characterizes vulnerability in survivors and broader perspectives on service provision for these survivors. Survivors considered least likely to attain desired supports were also those perceived to be most vulnerable with regards to risk and experiences surrounding sexual victimization (e.g., individuals with preexisting mental health issues). Service providers also believed that a large proportion of those served experience ongoing vulnerabilities that are difficult to manage within existing support models. The results thus suggest that survivors’ needs cannot be met if vulnerabilities are overlooked or ignored. At the same time, the concept of vulnerability warrants caution since vulnerabilities are often placed within individual survivors, but the formal support system also appears vulnerable in its ability to meet the diverse needs and priorities of those served. The implications for SA services across the globe are discussed, including a need for more individually tailored and trauma-informed responses to SA that simultaneously address co-occurring difficulties and inequalities in survivors.

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