Finnish Health Care Professionals’ Views of Patients Who Experience Family Violence

Juha Holma,Inka Koistinen

doi:10.1177/2158244015570392

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the beliefs health care personnel have about patients who experience family violence. This was done by analyzing the positions constructed for such patients using content analysis. The data comprise six focus groups conducted with physicians, nurses, social workers, and psychologists working in a maternity unit, a psychiatric ward, and an emergency department. The research team collected the data in 2006 in Finland. Three main positions were constructed for these patients: as a “victim,” with the classic characteristics of such; as a person damaged or disturbed in such a way that his or her victimization has become hidden behind secondary symptoms; and, as responsible for ending the violence and thus as an active contributor to and supporter of the violence. The results support the notion that health care personnel often have stereotypical beliefs about people experiencing family violence. It would be important to educate personnel about the dynamics of family violence.

Highlights

Intervening in family violence has been constructed as an exclusively social care issue
37% of American residents falsely thought that family violence is more prevalent among African American than Caucasian Americans (Baig et al, 2006)
These beliefs may serve the need of health care personnel to protect themselves: It may be less of an emotional strain to think that patients very similar to themselves (Caucasian and middle class) cannot be at risk of encountering violence (Sugg & Inui, 1992)

Summary

Introduction

Intervening in family violence has been constructed as an exclusively social care issue. They can be seen as evasive and reluctant to explain how they came by their injuries (García-Moreno, 2002; Leppäkoski, 2007) In addition to these behavioral clues, professionals report becoming suspicious of family violence if the patient visits the health care agency regularly, arrives at the appointment intoxicated, or complains of vague symptoms such as headache or chest pain. Sixty-six percent of the physicians studied incorrectly assumed that violence is more prevalent among patients of lower socioeconomic status These beliefs may serve the need of health care personnel to protect themselves: It may be less of an emotional strain to think that patients very similar to themselves (Caucasian and middle class) cannot be at risk of encountering violence (Sugg & Inui, 1992)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion