Escaping domestic violence: A qualitative study of women who left their abusive husbands

Domestic abuse among female doctors: thematic analysis of qualitative interviews in the UK

BACKGROUND

Doctors can be victim-survivors of domestic abuse (DA), but how this impacts their work and wellbeing, and whether they face barriers to seeking help is not well understood.

AIM

To understand single doctor mothers' lived experience of DA, barriers to seeking help, and impact on their work.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Individual qualitative interviews with female doctors in the UK who had left an abusive relationship. Interviews were conducted between August 2019 and March 2020.

METHOD

Participants were invited via a closed online forum for female doctors who are single parents. In total, 114 females expressed interest. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. Transcripts were uploaded to NVivo and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 21 participants were interviewed. The internalised stigma of DA affected participants' sense of identity and belonging as a doctor, causing social and professional isolation. Many participants felt that the acute stress of DA had an impact on their work, yet often felt unable to take time off. Barriers to seeking help included lack of confidentiality, especially where the abusive partner was also a doctor (sometimes accusing the victim-survivor of mental illness or threatening to report them to the General Medical Council). Participants found peer support helpful, as well as consulting health professionals who were empathic towards them. After they had left the abusive relationship victim-survivors felt better equipped to support patients going through DA.

CONCLUSION

Domestic abuse impacts on the work and wellbeing of female doctors, who face unique barriers to help seeking and reporting DA. An online peer support group can help to break the sense of isolation, but specialised confidential support services are also required to help doctors experiencing DA.

Domestic violence and decision-making power of married women in Myanmar: analysis of a nationally representative sample

BACKGROUND

Women in Myanmar are not considered decision makers in the community and the physical and psychological effect of violence makes them more vulnerable. There is a strong negative reaction, usually violent, to any economic activity generated by women among poorer and middle-class families in Myanmar because a woman's income is not considered necessary for basic survival.

OBJECTIVE

Explore the relationship between domestic violence on the decision-making power of married women in Myanmar.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

National, both urban and rural areas of Myanmar.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 were used in this analysis. In that survey, married women aged between 15 to 49 years were selected for interview using a multistage cluster sampling technique. The dependent variables were domestic violence and the decision-making power of women. Independent variables were age of the respondents, educational level, place of residence, employment status, number of children younger than 5 years of age and wealth index.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Domestic violence and decision-making power of women.

SAMPLE SIZE

7870 currently married women.

RESULTS

About 50% respondents were 35 to 49 years of age and the mean (SD) age was 35 (8.4) years. Women's place of residence and employment status had a significant impact on decision-making power whereas age group and decision-making power of women had a relationship with domestic violence.

CONCLUSION

Giving women decision making power will be indispensable for the achievement of sustainable development goals. Government and other stakeholders should emphasize this to eliminate violence against women.

LIMITATIONS

Use of secondary data analysis of cross-sectional study design and cross-sectional studies are not suitable design to assess this causality. Secondly the self-reported data on violence may be subject to recall bias.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.