Women In Crisis Research Articles

The experiences and psychological impact of living with premenstrual disorders: a systematic review and thematic synthesis.

As the psychological impact and decreased quality of life experienced by women living with a Premenstrual Disorder (PMD) has been reported in the literature, the aim of this systematic review and thematic synthesis was to explore a) their experiences and the psychological impact of PMDs, specifically Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and b) their perceived support needs. Six databases were searched for publications reporting on qualitative studies, since the database inception. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. Seventeen papers reporting on 479 women met the inclusion criteria: ten focused on PMS, six on PMDD and one on PMS and PMDD combined. Two main PMD themes were identified: 1) controlled by PMDs, which had three subthemes, and 2) a women and life left broken, with five subthemes. Women's accounts revealed that experiences of PMDs were intense, life changing and life-controlling. Women were left holding the responsibility of understanding and managing their own condition, whilst advocating for themselves in a healthcare setting in which their condition has been little understood. Consequently, women developed coping strategies to lead a functional life, and experienced changes to their sense of self. Clinical recommendations included the need for professionals working with women in crisis, to assess for PMDs and signpost towards specialist services.

Fraught triads – treating older women in crisis living with a migrant live-in caregiver and frail husband

ABSTRACT Hiring migrant live-in caregivers to take care of older adults with dementia, chronic disease or frailty has become more common in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. When older couples hire a non-relative to provide live-in caregiver services for a family member, the attendant household transformation – from couple to triad – gives rise to social and psychological challenges. Although live-in caregivers can be indispensable, living together can be very stressful for older adults and live-in caregiver. This article describes the emotional distress of two older adult wives in their eighties, and the therapeutic methods used to reduce it, including empathic understanding, legitimation of emotions, promotion of open communication, and formulation of a household ‘management strategy,’ establishing specific expectations concerning the parties’ roles and a daily activity schedule. Involvement of older couples’ children was found helpful, and was aided through psychoeducation. Gerontologists, therapists, educators, and social workers who serve the needs of older adults can effectively assist this population in the evolution of their perceptions of their new situation, the regaining of a sense of equilibrium, mastery and control over their lives, and the development of greater tolerance and understanding of migrant live-in caregivers’ work burden, native culture, and individual practices. Professionals should actively screen for risks of burden, stress, depression, and anxiety in households in which live-in caregiver services may be considered. Psychoeducation and preparation of both the older adults and their live-in caregivers entering the new relationship may lessen the incidence of potential stressors.

Psychosocial problems of healthcare for pregnant refugees – a systematic review

Introduction: As a result of increased refugee movements over the past few years, it is important to seek systemic solutions to provide medical care to those fleeing to safe countries as soon as possible, especially to pregnant women. To this end, it is necessary to know the existing problems and challenges associated with the care of pregnant refugees, and to find solutions to address them. Methods: A systematic review of the literature from 2016–2023 was conducted according to the PRISMA criteria. Results: Refugee women face a range of problems that need attention, ranging from changes in family dynamics, getting used to a new environment, fear for safety, lack of necessary support, isolation from family members, to overcoming the traumatic experiences left behind in the country of origin. Despite the adoption of assistance strategies in countries hosting refugee women, their implementation has often been far from ideal, even in highly developed countries, which has further negatively affected the mental state of pregnant refugee women in highly stressful situations. Conclusions: Caring for pregnant refugee women goes far beyond maternity care. It is an active process in which the main goals include giving birth to healthy offspring, achieving mental health, stress relief, and social integration of the refugee women themselves, including family relationships. We hope that the lessons learned from the mistakes of previous experiences will help the refugee host countries prepare for situations in which they need to assist pregnant women in crisis, including the provision of psychological support.

Advocacy of violence against women through the implementation of cyber public relations at the Rifka Annisa women's Crisis Center

This research examines the implementation of Cyber Public Relations at the Rifka Annisa Women's Crisis Center (Rifka Annisa WCC) in advocating public awareness of violence against women. This study aims to identify the obstacles Rifka Annisa WCC faces in managing Cyber Public Relations activities, analyze how they address those obstacles, and examine the impact of Cyber Public Relations implementation on advocacy of violence against women.. This research employs a qualitative case study method through observation and in-depth interviews with Rifka Annisa WCC's media officer. The study objectives are presented using the concepts of Cyber Public Relations and Social Media. The study results found that the lack of human resources in managing social media hindered Rifka Annisa WCC in optimizing Cyber Public Relations activities to advocates public awareness. To address this obstacle, Rifka Annisa WCC focuses on using Instagram as an online advocacy tool. Furthermore, the application of Cyber Public Relations in Rifka Annisa WCC's advocacy activities had a significant impact on aspects of community literacy regarding the discourse on violence against women, as well as changes in the behavior of victims of violence and the larger community in responding to violence against women.

Childbearing decisions and related factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable consequences in many areas of life, including the social area and childbearing plans. The present narrative review aimed to examine the childbearing decisions and its related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review was conducted by searching in scientific databases, including Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane, PubMed, ProQuest, Scientific Information Database (SID), Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IranDoc) and Iranian Journal Database (Magiran) in June 2022. The search resulted in 111 sources, of which 16 were in line with the research objective. Couples have mainly cancelled or delayed their previous plans related to childbearing decisions. There are two groups of direct and indirect factors related to childbearing decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic: The former includes (1) well-being-related factors such as economic conditions, interpersonal relationships and gender roles in terms of task division; and (2) health-related factors, including health emergencies and physical and psychological health. The latter includes factors such as social distancing and social media. Based on the results, governments should facilitate childbearing by adjusting existing policies, addressing economic insecurity and protecting the livelihoods of those affected by the crisis. Health policymakers and planners must also prioritize women's access to reproductive health services in a safe environment while promoting equity in access. It is also necessary to promote the quality and quantity of indirect care and virtual counseling based on the needs of women in crisis.

Abstract 10060: Racial Differences in Outcomes of Hypertensive Crisis in Women With History of Preeclampsia: A National Sample Study

Objective: Preeclampsia has been shown to put women at an increased risk of developing hypertension later in life. We aimed to determine racial differences in in-hospital outcomes of hypertensive crisis in women with history of preeclampsia in the United States. Methods: The national inpatient sample was retrospectively studied from 2012-2019 to identify hospitalizations for hypertensive crisis aged >18. We further identified history of preeclampsia within each admission using ICD-10 codes. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay (LOS) and inpatient mortality rate. Secondary outcomes were chosen as a 3-point composite development of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Demographic (age, sex, race) information was also recorded. Caucasian patients were chosen as baseline reference to compare other ethnicities with. Data was analyzed with STATA 16.0, and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: There were 531,432 hospitalizations for hypertensive crisis, out of which 11% (58,457) had history of preeclampsia. 65% of this subset was Caucasian, 21% were African American (AA) and 11% Hispanic. Inpatient mortality rate was higher in Hispanic patients with preeclampsia vs Caucasians [6.2% vs 4.3%; AOR: 1.56 (1.49 – 1.61, p<0.001)]. AA patients had a longer LOS vs Caucasians [5.5 vs 3.2; AOR: 1.21 (1.19 – 1.25, p<0.001)]. There was no significant difference in LOS in Hispanic patients (p=0.08). Hispanic women had increased odds of developing stroke while inpatient compared to their Caucasian counterparts (AOR: 2.31, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in development of MI amongst the races (p=0.09). However, AA women with history of preeclampsia were more likely to develop CHF compared to Caucasians (AOR: 1.92, p<0.001). Conclusion: Hispanic women with history of preeclampsia have higher mortality rate and incidence of stroke when admitted with hypertensive crisis. Similarly, African American women with preeclampsia have longer hospital stay when admitted with hypertensive crisis. Further research is needed to understand and alleviate these cardiovascular burdens in ethnic minorities.

Comparison of Job Adaptation Indicators in Crisis between Men and Women

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare job adaptation indicators for men and women in crisis. Methods: The present research method is mixed (qualitative-quantitative). Families living in city of Sarpolzahab who remained in their city after the Kermanshah earthquake and adapted to the conditions of their area of ​​residence were the sample population. Cluster random sampling method was used to select the sample members. Five districts were selected from the total number of families living in city of Sarpolzahab, in which 380 families were selected as the research sample. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to measure job adaptation to crisis. The construction and adjustment of this questionnaire was obtained through statistical themes from qualitative data. In the present study, the total validity coefficient of the job matching questionnaire with crisis was 0.886. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the data and Tukey post-hoc test results were reported in more detail. Findings: The findings showed that the components of professional adaptation (professional occupations based on ability and skill, professional occupations based on knowledge and professional occupations based on motivation) did not differ significantly between men and women. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that due to the crisis, women and men, due to their gender roles, the necessary adaptation happened in the crisis and no significant difference was found between them in terms of job adaptation.

Family Psychoeducation Therapy to Improve Family's Ability to Care for Victims of Sexual Abuse


 Background: Sexual abuse is increasingly occurring but it is difficult to detect. Victims and their families usually do not want to reveal the sexual abuse clearly, complicates intervention efforts. The most incidents of sexual abuse occurred in children and adolescents, which is called child sexual abuse. Aim This study was conducted to analyze the effect of Family Psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on family’s ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse) in the working area of Women's Crisis Center (WCC), Jombang Regency, East Java. Method: This study utilized pre-experimental design with one group pretest-posttest design; using one treatment group, with observations conducted to the group before and after treatment. The population in this study were all families with children who experienced sexual abuse with a total of 133 respondents. By using simple random sampling technique, 100 samples were obtained. The measuring instrument used was a questionnaire on both variables. Data processing was carried out by editing, coding, scoring, and tabulating, while data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Results: Results obtained p value = 0.000 (<0.005), indicating that H1 was accepted. It means that there was an effect of Family Psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on the family's ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse) in the working area of Women's Crisis Center, Jombang Regency. Conclusion: This study concludes that the most common case of sexual abuse is sexual violence. The results show that there is an effect of family psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on the family’s ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse).

Kemampuan Keluarga Merawat Anak yang Telah Mengalami Pelecehan Seksual (Post Sexual Abuse)

Introduction: Incidents of sexual harassment are difficult to detect. This sexual harassment by the victim and family is still kept secret because it is considered a family disgrace. Apart from being embarrassed, the family also doesn'tknow how to take care of a child who has been sexually abused. Most cases of sexual harassment occur in children and adolescents as victims or what is often called Child sexual abuse. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the ability of familiesto care for children who have experienced post sexual abuse in the Jombang Women Crisis Center (WCC) Work Area. Method: Analytical Descriptive research design, which is a method that serves to describe or provide an overview of the object under study through data or samples that have been collected. The population is families who have children who have experienced sexual harassment as many as 133 people, a sample of 100 people with simple random sampling technique. the measuring instrument used is a questionnaire. Data processing by editing, coding, scoring, tabulating, and data analysis using the Wilcoxon Test. Results: the ability of families to care for children who have experienced post sexual abuse in the Jombang Women's Crisis Center Working Area is less. Conclusion: the ability of families to care for children who have experienced sexual abuse is less.

Kendine Ait Bir Kimlik: Postmodern Feminist Bir Kurguda Akademik Kadının Feminist İdeolojisi ve Kimlik Krizi

Why academic women struggle to find an identity of their own in “the genderization of science” (Keller, 1984, 78)? Is it because they still “face stereotyping, gendered barriers, exclusion, mobbing, discounting and discrediting in the patriarchal domain of science”? (Buran, 2020). This paper close-reads the interface between feminist ideology and biology that Margaret Drabble develops in her The Millstone (1965), which tells the transition from traditional ideal women to women in crisis in Post-War Britain. This postmodern feminist fiction reconstructs an alternative woman protagonist, Rosamund Stacey, liberated in all facets of life for whom marriage is not the goal but her academic career, as she prefers to remain a single mother without depending on a husband. The aim of this article is to explore how Drabble portrays an academic woman’s self-journey towards a sense of fragmented identity crises of social, familial, professional, and maternal. This is achieved by exploring Rosamund’s quest to find her feminist ideology and true identity flying from body constraints and socially assigned female roles.

The Features of Psychological Defenses of Women with Different States of Family Functioning and Family Interaction

The aim of the article is to determine the features of psychological defenses of women with different states of family functioning and family interaction and their interrelation with personal characteristics, psychological and emotional states and indicators of family crisis. The following methods of research were used: theoretical (study, systematic analysis and generalization of socio-psychological, medical and psychological literature on the research topic); psychodiagnostic (observation, conversation, survey, testing); statistical (quantitative and qualitative analysis of experimental data). The results of the research. The analysis of the results of the study revealed the features of psychological defenses of women and men from crisis families, divorced women and women from normative families. A comparative analysis of psychological defenses of women and men was made, an analysis of the interrelation between psychological defenses and psychological and emotional states, factors of family crisis and personal qualities of women with different states of family functioning and family interaction and men from crisis families. Conclusion. An analysis of the stress of psychological defenses found that all the groups had problems with psychological defense of substitution and denial. In addition, the following stresses of psychological defenses were identified by groups: women in crisis – rationalization, regression; men and divorced – rationalization. Comparative analysis of the frequency of use and expression of mechanisms of psychological protection showed a significant difference among women and men from crisis families by the following indicators: displacement, regression, compensation, intellectualization, hypercompensation; among women from crisis families and divorced by indicators: denial, regression, compensation, projection, substitution, intellectualization; among women from crisis and normative families by projection indicator; women from normative families and divorced have a significant difference by indicator of denial. Positive and negative interrelations of psychological defenses with indicators of psychological and emotional states, factors of family crisis and personal qualities of women with different states of family functioning and family interaction and men from crisis families were found. The highest number of interrelation was found in the group of divorced women and women from crisis families. Thus, the analysis of the research results allowed to determine some factors and criteria for forecasting the development of a family crisis (personal growth and destructive response of the individual) and the growth of self-realization of a woman’s personality in a family crisis.

Higher Ed's Looming Women's Crisis

Higher Ed's Looming Women's Crisis

위기의 중산층 결혼 적령기 여성들: 『마틴 처즐윗』을 중심으로

This paper examines middle class nubile women in crisis in Martin Chuzzlewit. Even though he has been criticized to advocate the Victorian ideal of women as “the Angel in the House,” especially in his early novels, Dickens actually criticizes the women ideology of the Victorian age, and tries to reveal the desperate situation of middle class women. By examining Mary, Ruth, Mercy, and Charity, representative nubile women of the Victorian middle class in Martin Chuzzlewit, this paper claims that seemingly accepting the Victorian women ideology, Dickens realizes and tries to explore the problematic situation of women in predicament. By probing into the repressive character of the Angel in the House ideology under the patriarchal system, he clearly shows the hypocritical fictionality of the Victorian middle class ideal. Martin Chuzzlewit, presenting inner conflicts of confused and desperate women characters of the middle class, foretells Dickens’s later insightful representations of female heroines, and critical penetrations into the dark reality of Victorian women in his later mature novels.

Sanitation and Hygiene of Darjeeling City: A Crisis for Women and Adolescent Girls

By the end of the Millennium Development Goal's target year, 2015, India had been declared as a country, which has made moderate progress in terms of improvement in basic sanitation provision for all. Yet open defecation is still a regular practice of a significant proportion of the population in both urban and rural areas. The Indian government has been trying to address this problem for the last three decades through different programmes. However, though the effort is laudable, in reality, the countrywide situation is not so praiseworthy. Lack of sanitation provisions affects people in different ways with different intensities along the lines of class, gender, age, disability, and marginality. In Darjeeling city, due to lack of proper sanitation facilities, a significant portion of the population uses public toilets, which are less in number compared to the demand. People face a variety of difficulties and hurdles in using public toilets, and as a result, continue to practice open defecation during the night and early morning. Among the users, women and adolescent girls suffer more than the others. Moreover, in this city, a significant portion of the population faces acute water crisis during the dry months. This empirical study tries to explore the different ways through which women and adolescent girls are affected by the lack of safe sanitation facilities within the house premises. The article also argues that lack of sanitation provision should be considered as a matter of violence against women and adolescent girls because the situation makes them vulnerable to the risk of being violated or sexually abused.

Women in Crisis

Women in Crisis

Caring for Childbearing Women in Crisis: Midwife Pilgrim.

Lynn Clark Callister is a Professor Emerita, College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, and an Editorial Board Member of MCN. Dr. Callister can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] The author declares no conflicts of interest.

We don't have to change the world

Claire Axcell, winner of the BJM Student of the Year Award 2017, reflects on the similarities between midwifery and her former career in the police, and the importance of listening to women in crisis

Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing and Risk Prevention in Residents of Battered Women's Shelters

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and intimate partner violence (IPV) are interconnected public health problems. However, few HIV prevention interventions address the unique needs of IPV survivors in shelter and none of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s best-evidence risk reduction interventions adequately explore the complex relationship between IPV and HIV risk. Although battered women's shelters provide a safe and supportive environment for women in crisis, most do not offer HIV risk reduction services or sexual safety planning. MethodsThis study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of rapid HIV testing and brief risk prevention intervention developed for residents of battered women's shelters. The Safe Alternatives For Empowered sex for intimate partner violence intervention (SAFE-IPV) was evaluated in an open trial (N = 98). Participants were assessed with a series of standardized interviews and self-reports at screening and 3 months after leaving the shelter. ResultsFew eligible participants declined SAFE-IPV and participants who received SAFE-IPV reported high levels of satisfaction. No participants in the open trial tested positive for HIV. However, participants reported significantly fewer unprotected vaginal and anal sexual occasions and increased intentions to engage in risk preventative behaviors 3 months after leaving shelter compared with the 3 months before shelter. Additionally, participants reported significant improvements on HIV risk factors addressed in SAFE-IPV at the 3-month follow-up (i.e., reduced emotional, physical, and sexual harm by abuser, posttraumatic stress symptoms, hazardous alcohol use, and drug use). DiscussionThese results extend prior research on HIV prevention with women with IPV, demonstrating the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of SAFE-IPV within battered women's shelter settings.

Missing women: policing absence

This paper considers the neglected mobilities associated with a sample of UK women reported as missing. Refracted through literatures on gendered mobility and abandonment, the paper argues that the journeys of these women in crisis are not well understood by police services, and that normative gender relations may infuse their management. By selectively exploring one illustrative police case file on Kim, we highlight how reported and observed socio‐spatial relationships within private and public spaces relate to search actions. We argue that Kim's mobility and spatial experiences are barely understood, except for when they appear to symbolise disorder and danger. We address the silences in this singular case by using the voices of other women reported as missing, as collected in a research project to explore the agency, experience and meaning of female mobility during absence. We argue that women reported as missing are not abandoned by UK policing services, but that a policy of continued search for them may be at risk if they repeatedly contravene normative socio‐spatial relationships through regular absence mobilities. By way of conclusion, we address recent calls for research that explores the relationships between gender and mobility.

Exploration of Middle-Aged Women's Crisis Management Types Using the Q-methodology

Exploration of Middle-Aged Women's Crisis Management Types Using the Q-methodology