No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) constitutes a hidden health risk for exposed mothers and children. In Sweden, screening for IPV in healthcare has only been routine during pregnancy, despite an increase in IPV following childbirth. The arguments against routine questions postpartum have concerned a lack of evidence of beneficial effects as well as fear of stigmatizing women or placing abused women at further risk. Increased understanding of women's attitudes to routine questions may allay these fears. In this study, 198 mothers in 12 child healthcare centres (CHCs) filled in a short questionnaire about their exposure and received information on IPV at a regular baby check-up visit. The mothers' lifetime prevalence of exposure to IPV was 16%. One hundred and twenty-eight mothers participated in a telephone interview, giving their opinion on the screening experience. The intervention was well-received by most of the mothers who reported that questions and information on IPV are essential for parents, considering the health risks for children, and that the CHC is a natural arena for this. Necessary prerequisites were that questioning be routine to avoid stigmatizing and be offered in privacy without the partner being present.

The risk of exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) between caregivers is increased during early childhood. The adverse effects on the health and development of the youngest children may be severe. Effective and promising interventions for children who have experienced IPV have been developed and evaluated. However, there is a lack in knowledge about how the children themselves experience the interventions. The aim of this study was to contribute to the evaluation of group treatment designed to improve the psychological health of young children in the aftermath of family violence by elucidating the children's experiences of participating. Nine children, aged 4 to 6 years, were interviewed after participating in group programmes specifically designed for children who have been exposed to intimate partner violence. A semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions was used. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, to ensure a focus on the children's own views and experiences. Five master themes embracing the children's experiences were identified: joy - positive emotional experience of participation; security - feeling safe; relatedness - relationships within the group; to talk - externalised focus on the violence; and competence - new knowledge and skills. Theoretical and clinical implications and the benefit of including very young children's views and experiences in research are discussed.

The Violence in Families questionnaire was regarded as a useful tool and could thus be implemented in practice. However, it is important to offer education to the nurses prior to implementing a routine of asking about intimate partner violence in the child healthcare setting.

Three examples of young Kosovar children who were exposed to brutal violence together with their mothers are presented to illustrate how important it is to understand the impact of traumatic events on young children's development from the perspective of the parent-child relationship. The traumatized mothers' internal representations of self and self-being-together-with-child were damaged, and this in turn led to their care-giving system and internal representations of the children being negatively affected. No longer being able to see themselves as protective and loving parents, the mothers were unable to respond to their children with care-giving behaviour. The traumatized children's increased attachment behaviour and posttraumatic symptoms functioned as a trigger for posttraumatic symptoms in the mothers and contributed to a disengagement of the care-giving system. The on-going process disrupted the previous attachment pattern in mother-child interaction and a disorganized attachment pattern developed.

The importance of patient participation is advocated in medical treatment and nursing care and has been linked to increased quality of care, increased patient satisfaction, and treatment adherence. Still, patients in forensic psychiatric care often report being unhappy with their experienced level of participation. The concept of patient participation is complex and has several definitions, thus it is important to investigate it from different perspectives in different contexts. The aim of this study was to describe patients' perceptions of the concept of patient participation in forensic psychiatric care. A qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach was used, and interviews with 19 participants in a Swedish setting were completed. The participants described the concept of patient participation in forensic psychiatric care as follows: influence, to have good communication and to be involved; confidence, to have mutual trust and to trust the care; and own responsibility, to participate in activities and to take the initiative. On the basis of the results of this study, improved patient participation in forensic psychiatric care may be achieved with active communication, by building up and maintaining trust for professional competence and by encouraging patients' own responsibility. It is important that knowledge about patients' views of the concept of patient participation is included in the planning and improvement of forensic care.