Online Program

330990
Mental Health Needs Loom Larger for Victims of Partner Violence


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Pam Wadsworth, WMU School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI
Catherine Kothari, PhD, Western Michigan Univ. School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI
Jaclin Peterson, WMU School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI
Jennifer Frank Brenton, YWCA of Kalamazoo Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI
Grace Lubwama, YWCA of Kalamazoo Michigan, Kalamazoo, MI

  1. Determine health needs of women in Kalamazoo who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual assault (SA). 

  2. Assess receptivity to health care delivery options. 

A cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample of 58 adult female (18+) utilizers of the YWCA Domestic Assault Program (YWCA-DAP) or Sexual Assault Program (YWCA-SAP) (shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, SANE).  Participants completed anonymous written surveys. The HITS instrument assessed current IPV.

Respondent demographics reflected the YWCA-DAP and SAP population: 62.1% identified as Black, 27.6% as White, 94.8% had children, 70.7% were single and 48.6% were employed.  More than a third (39.6%) rated their health status as “very good” or “excellent” (5-point Likert scale); 32.8% indicating that abuse affected their health “a lot.”  Mental health was the most common unmet need for participants and their children (39.7% versus 19.0% for unmet physical needs).   Most women (75.9%) had health insurance and reported no difficulties obtaining medical care (63.8%).  Based on the HITS, 87.9% of participants met criteria for current IPV.  Women were most likely to utilize case management (60.3% “very likely”).  Half (50.0%) were “very likely” to use a health clinic located at the YWCA.  Women were almost equally inclined to use a mobile clinic in their neighborhood (41.4% “very likely”) or a healthcare provider specially trained to work with abused women (39.7%).

Abused women in Kalamazoo rate mental health as the greatest un-met need.   Women endorsed several healthcare delivery styles; their greatest preference was for care coordination and on-site clinic.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Describe the self reported health priorities of victims of partners violence, including the preference for health care delivery.

Keyword(s): Community Health Planning, Domestic Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I assisted in the study design, data collection, and analysis. I am a health care provider for.....
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.