Attitudes and behaviours of family physicians towards clinical practice around intimate partner violence: a view from the Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey
Hüsna Sarıca Çevik
A * , Selda Tekiner B , Ayşe Gülsen Ceyhun Peker B and Mehmet Ungan B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Çankaya District Health Directorate, Altındağ, Ankara 06230, Turkey.
B Department of Family Medicine, Ankara University Medical School, Altındağ, Ankara 06230, Turkey.
* Correspondence to: saricahusna@gmail.com
Australian Journal of Primary Health - https://doi.org/10.1071/PY22133
Submitted: 25 April 2022 Accepted: 19 May 2023 Published online: 22 June 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University
Abstract
Background: Although family physicians (FPs) often encounter patients who have been subjected to intimate partner violence (IPV), the data on FPs’ response to IPV is limited. This study aimed to determine FPs’ attitudes towards IPV survivors in the Çankaya district of Ankara, Turkey.
Methods: An online questionnaire designed to elicit sociodemographic information and FPs’ attitudes towards IPV was distributed between 20 August 2021 and 20 October 2021.
Results: Eighty-nine FPs participated in the study. Of the participants, 71.9% had a patient diagnosed with IPV during their practice. Of these physicians, 100% diagnosed physical, 56.3% sexual, 71.9% psychological, 53.1% economic, and 10.9% cyber violence. Among these physicians, sexual, psychological, and economic violence were determined at higher rates by family medicine specialists (FMSs) compared to general practitioners (GPs), by FPs who had received IPV training compared to those who were untrained, and by female physicians compared to males (P < 0.05). Despite diagnosing IPV, some physicians did not intervene/guide their patients, and some only consoled their patients because they thought the situation was inevitable. The reasons for not taking official action included insufficient time, feeling uncomfortable talking about violence, lack of information about the detection and reporting, and the thought that the woman would not leave her abusive partner.
Conclusions: The results showed that among the physicians who encountered IPV, female sex, family medicine speciality training, and IPV training resulted in acting more consciously in diagnosing violence, implementing referral and notification systems, and approaching IPV survivors. The prevention of IPV could be made possible by supporting FPs with ongoing training, breaking down stereotypes and prejudices about gender roles, and changing the structures that maintain unequal power relationships.
Keywords: community medicine, doctor–patient relationship, domestic violence, family medicine, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, primary care, public health, women in family medicine.
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