Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialWho is identified by screening for intimate partner violence?
Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is prevalent and has significant physical and mental health consequences; accurate identification of IPV in health settings can be an important first step in appropriate response and referral to services for women. ⋯ Screening in health care settings may overidentify IPV and care needs to be taken in decisions regarding how abuse is identified. However, screening alone may underidentify specific characteristics of women, partners, and relationships that could enable more accurate identification of abuse and specific mental health concerns through clinical case finding.
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Womens Health Issues · Nov 2008
Comparative StudyRacial disparities in trauma exposure, psychiatric symptoms, and service use among female patients in Veterans Affairs primary care clinics.
We sought to compare female African-American (n = 84) and Caucasian (n = 99) veterans from primary care clinics at 4 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) on rates of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, other psychiatric diagnoses, functional status, and use of VA services and disability benefits. ⋯ Among female veterans seen in VA primary care clinics, African-Americans and Caucasians do not differ dramatically with regard to the manifestation or severity of psychopathology, or in their use of relevant VA health care services and disability benefits. These data are important because women represent the fastest growing segment of the VA population after aging veterans. Further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings to ensure that female veterans' needs are adequately identified and met by VAMC providers.