Development and training of mental health professionals in providing psychological intervention and support for women survivors of intimate partner violence – A pre–post evaluation study

Abstract

Health care providers play a significant role as they are the first contact for seeking help for intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. This research aimed toward developing a comprehensive culturally appropriate intervention package for the mental health professionals (MHPs) to provide psychological intervention and support for women survivors of IPV and test the training impact on the level of attitude, knowledge, and preparedness to respond to IPV disclosure among MHPs. A single group, pre-post intervention study, was conducted at Tertiary Mental Health Hospital in the Southern part of India, Bengaluru. A total of 30 MHPs were recruited for the study using purposive sampling. MHP Attitude, Knowledge, Preparedness to Manage IPV (MAP-IPV) questionnaire was used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. The pre-post evaluation was analyzed using the independent "t" test by comparing the means scores of the MAP-IPV questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) - 20 version of the software. The results revealed a lack of attitude, knowledge preparedness, and available resources materials among MHPs in addressing IPV cases. Pre-post evaluation showed statistically significant improvement in attitude, knowledge, and preparedness to identify and respond to IPV disclosure among MHPs after the intervention program. The comprehensive IPV intervention package effectively brings gain in attitude, knowledge, and preparedness among MHPs in addressing survivors of IPV. Practice guidelines and clear referral pathways following IPV disclosure need to be implemented to support the gains made through the training.