• Maartje J W Loeffen, Jasper Daemen, Fred P J F Wester, Miranda G H Laurant, Sylvie H Lo Fo Wong, and Antoine L M Lagro-Janssen.
• a Department of Primary and Community Care, Gender & Women's Health , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , the Netherlands.
• Eur J Gen Pract. 2017 Dec 1; 23 (1): 273427-34.

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent and associated with physical and mental health problems. Mentor mother support is a low threshold intervention in family practice consisting of support by non-professionals trained to support mothers experiencing IPV. A mentor mother support study showed reduced exposure to IPV and decreased symptoms of depression.ObjectivesIdentify factors determining implementation success of mentor mother support in family practice.MethodsIndividual interviews were conducted with 12 family physicians, 16 abused mothers and three mentor mothers. Four mentor mothers participated in a focus group. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThe identification and discussion of abuse is hindered by family physicians' attitudes because they considered mothers experiencing IPV as a difficult target group with a responsibility of their own to break out of their violent situation. Some family physicians doubted the partner's violence because he was known as a patient as well. Acceptance of mentor mother support is related to the readiness for change of mothers experiencing IPV. Mentor mothers facilitate acceptance and completion of their support by connecting as a friend who is equal and less threatening than professionals.ConclusionTo improve successful implementation of mentor mother support in primary care, we should focus on family physicians' attitudes towards IPV. To change these attitudes, we recommend continuous training of family physicians. By being paraprofessional friends, mentor mothers offer low threshold support that is complementary to professional support and should be embedded more widely in primary care. [Box: see text].

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