Frequency and determinants of domestic violence against Iranian women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey

The impact of mind-body therapies on the mental health of women victims of violence: A meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Violence against women is a common public health problem and causes negative mental health outcomes. Mind-body therapies aim to positively affect a person's mental health by focusing on the interaction between mind, body, and behavior. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of mind-body therapies on women's mental health.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials published in the last 20 years comparing mind-body therapies with active control or waiting lists in women victims of violence were included. Pubmed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched until August 2023. The random effects model and fixed effects model were used for data analysis. The heterogeneity of the study was assessed using the I2 index, and publication bias was assessed using Egger's test and funnel plot.

RESULTS

Twelve eligible studies with a sample size of 440 women victims of violence were selected. Mind-body therapies led to a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores (SMD: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.89), depression scores (SMD: 1.68, 95% CI: 0.83, 2.52) and posttraumatic stress scores (SMD: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.73, 1.18). There was a high level of heterogeneity in the outcome for anxiety (I2 = 85.18), a high level of heterogeneity for depression (I2 = 88.82), and a low level of heterogeneity for PTSD (I2 = 19.61). Results of subgroup analysis based on the number of sessions showed that eight or fewer sessions reduced anxiety (SMD: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.37, 4.83) and depression scores (SMD: 3.44, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.68), while PTSD scores did not change.

CONCLUSION

Evidence suggests that mind-body therapies may reduce anxiety, depression, and PTSD in women victims of violence.

COVID-19 and Biopolitics: An Essay on Iran

In the intricate tapestry of Iran's geopolitical, cultural, and economic landscape, the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed profound changes. This essay delves into the multifaceted impact of the pandemic on Iranians' lives, dissecting the specific nuances shaped by the complex biopolitical environment. We unravel the subtle imprints of COVID-19 on the biopolitical discourse, exploring how it intricately intertwines with daily life, social interactions, and the nation's health system.

Inequalities in care for Iranian women suffering from the comorbidity of substance use and mental illness: The need for integrated treatment

This paper addresses the comorbidity of substance use and mental illness among women in Iran and the barriers they encounter in accessing treatment. Research has demonstrated a higher prevalence of comorbidity of substance use disorders and mental illness among women than men. It has been suggested that women in Iran may face numerous barriers to appropriate care, such as stigma and discrimination associated with substance use. Integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders (CODs) has been highly beneficial and effective; however, personal and structural limitations impede this treatment approach, which explains the need to develop a situation- and culture-specific program. Needs assessment is necessary to achieve an integrated treatment, and the Iranian government should take the lead in this endeavor. However, if this seems unlikely, non-governmental organizations could be called upon to promote it.

Domestic violence risk prediction in Iran using a machine learning approach by analyzing Persian textual content in social media

Domestic violence (DV) against women in Iran is a hidden societal issue. In addition to its chronic physical, mental, industrial, and economic effects on women, children, and families, DV prevents victims from receiving mental health care. On the other hand, DV campaigns on social media have encouraged victims and society to share their stories of abuse. As a result, massive amount of data has been generated about this violence, which can be used for analysis and early detection. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze and classify Persian textual content pertinent to DV against women in social media. It also aimed to use machine learning to predict the risk of this content. After collecting 53,105 tweets and captions in the Persian language from Twitter and Instagram, between April 2020 and April 2021, 1611 tweets and captions were chosen at random and categorized using criteria compiled and approved by an expert in the field of DV. Then, using machine learning algorithms, modeling and evaluation processes were performed on the tagged data. The Naïve Base model, with an accuracy of 86.77% was the most accurate model among all machine learning models for predicting critical Persian content pertinent to domestic violence on social media. The obtained findings indicate that using a machine learning approach, the risk of Persian content related to DV in social media against women can be predicted.

Systems thinking on the gendered impacts of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A systematic review

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women and threatens to overturn four decades of progress in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. To better grasp the key areas of concern that gender inequality exists, gender studies and sex-disaggregated evidence are required. Using the PRISMA technique, this review paper is the first attempt to present a comprehensive and current picture of the gendered dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh regarding economic well-being, resource endowments, and agency. This study found that women were more likely to face hardship as widows, mothers, or sole breadwinners after the loss of husbands and male household members because of the pandemic. The evidence suggests that the advancement of women during this pandemic was hampered by poor reproductive health outcomes; girls' dropping out of school; job loss; less income; a comparable wage gap; a lack of social security; unpaid work burnout; increased emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; an increase in child marriages; and less participation in leadership and decision-making. Our study found inadequate sex-disaggregated data and gender studies on COVID-19 in Bangladesh. However, our research concludes that policies must account for gender disparities and male and female vulnerability across multiple dimensions to achieve inclusive and effective pandemic prevention and recovery.

Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

This study measured the prevalence of cases of domestic violence against women and some associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Data were collected through a remote survey during 2020. The sample included 47,819 women aged 15 years and older. Jointpoint regression and logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of violence was 11.5%, which decreased in July and subsequently increased. The associated factors were being unemployed (OR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.89-2.16); being partially and totally quarantined (OR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.43-1.75 and OR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.32-1.63); being a caregiver of children; being a caregiver of elderly and/or suffering from a chronic illness (OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.19-1.36; OR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.33-1.53; OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.47-1.73); losing a family member to COVID-19 (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.13-1.41); and binge drinking (OR = 1.94; 95%CI 1.78-2.12). The confinement measures increased gender inequalities, economic problems and workload which further evidenced violence against women.

The prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among the Iranian population in one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 disease

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 spread between and across nearly every country, with considerable negative health consequences. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among Iranians older than 15 years in 2020.

METHODS

Data was collected through National Mental Health Survey on 24,584 Iranians older than 15 years in 2020. were analyzed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health. Multi-stage sampling method was used, and data on demographic characteristics and domestic-social violence and mental health (GHQ-28) were collected. Data analysis was administered using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test at a 95% level.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 44.18 ± 16.4 years. The overall prevalence of domestic and social violence was 11.4% and 5.5%, respectively. Verbal violence was the most common type; with 61.8% and 66.8% for domestic and social violence, respectively. A suspected case of mental disorder, female gender, being younger than 25 years, living apart together, unemployment, low education, and history of COVID-19 infection presented a significant association with domestic and social violence (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In comparison to the previous study in 2015, the prevalence of violence has increased. Therefore, domestic and social violence are the social concerns of Iranian society, indicating the necessity of appropriate interventions, particularly for those suspected of mental disorders and young women with low education levels.

The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic and Social Determinants of Health on the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence. A Systematic Review

Background

The pandemic has increased the rates of violent behavior towards women by their partners worldwide. Increased time spent living with the abusive partner, working at home and limited social contact combined with socioeconomic characteristics contributed to the increase in this type of violence.

Objective

To investigate the impact of pandemic COVID-19 and social determinants of health (SDOH) on the intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by women from their partners.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted to investigate the impact of COVID-19 and social determinants of health on violence experienced by women from their partner(s) as a consequence of incarceration. The Pubmed and Scopus databases were searched during December 2022, using the keywords "intimate partner violence", "women", "COVID-19", "socioeconomic factors", "social determinants of health".

Results

Of the 917 studies initially retrieved, 38 studies found an increased prevalence of women's reported violence by their partners, 10 found a low prevalence, and 9 found no difference in prevalence before and during restraint. The most common forms of violence were psychological, physical and sexual. In 30 studies, social determinants such as socioeconomic level, education and living conditions were found to be associated with the prevalence of violence.

Conclusion

There was an increase in violence against women during quarantine which was associated with the effect of social determinants. However, due to research limitations of the studies, additional research is needed to draw firm conclusions that can be generalized to the population.

The relationship between mental health and violence toward women during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has a number of psychological consequences for societies, especially women. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between mental health and violence toward women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.This study was conducted on during late October to November 2020 (N = 400). Demographic information questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-12) and violence toward women inventory(VTWI) were used.The results showed that violence was higher among employed women. Also, the results showed that VTW was higher in women with 3 children, high school degree, family income under 3 million and women over 40 years old. Findings showed that the mean mental health of women at the COVID-19 pandemic was moderate (15.14 ± 8.8). Also, with increasing psychological and economic violence, their mental health decreases. Therefore, it is suggested that policy makers and planners, apart from the physical effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, pay attention to its psychological dimension, especially for women, and try to allocate funds to maintain and promote mental health and family.

Domestic violence against women during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in Egypt: a cross-sectional study

Background

While it is necessary to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, efforts including social isolation, restricted travel, and school closures are anticipated to raise the probability of domestic violence (DV). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, pattern, risk factors, and physical health outcomes of domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenient sample. The data collection tool was based on Sect. 11 of the Egyptian Demographic Health Survey, 2014, which is designed to measure domestic violence. We used a Google form-designed questionnaire and distributed the link to social media platforms from May 2020 to June 2020 till the collection of the required sample of 388 completed questionnaires.

Results

The prevalence of every form of DV was 31%. Emotional violence was the most prevalent (43.5%) followed by physical (38.9%) and sexual violence (17.5%). About 10.5% of women reported suffering from all types of violence. The husband was the most common perpetrator of DV. The determinants of ever experiencing any form of DV were low education level of women (OR = 7.3, 95% CI 2.8–18.8), unemployment (OR = 2.31, 95% CI 4–3.5), husband’s use of alcohol or substance (OR = 14.4, 95% CI 4.1–50.2), and insufficient income (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 2–3.2). The most common health consequences of DV were injuries such as cuts, bruises, and aches.

Conclusions

The prevalence of ever experiencing any form of DV was 31% which is considered high. Emotional violence was the most common whereas sexual violence was the least common. Identifying the risk factors of DV would support the development and implementation of preventive and screening programs for early identification and offering social support to the victims. Policies should be adopted for the early detection and protection of women suffering from violent behaviors. Access to adequate prompt support and health-care services is crucial in order to decrease the consequences of violence. It is necessary to implement alcohol or drug abuse interventions, preventive measures, and screening programs in families to reduce DV.

Violence Against Women During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study from a Turkish Emergency Department

OBJECTIVE

Violence against women (VAW) is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has worsened gender inequality, resulting in a heightened incidence of VAW. This study aims to assess the characteristics of women who admit to the emergency department (ED), both before the pandemic and during the pandemic. The secondary aim is to compare the frequencies of violence cases between periods.

METHODS

By single-center, retrospective, and cross-sectional design, the periods of April 10 - December 31, 2020 and April 10 - December 31, 2019 were compared. The outcomes of the study were the daily ED admission numbers of both sexes, the prevalence of VAW cases in the ED, as well as sociodemographic and clinical variables of the women who were exposed to violence.

RESULTS

During the pandemic period, number of VAW cases in the ED increased 13% and the ratio of VAW cases to all ED admissions tripled compared to the pre-pandemic period. Women exposed to VAW were more likely to be without social insurance, injured in the trunk part of their body, and having a life-threatening injury in the pandemic period. In both periods, women were attacked by an intimate partner, dominantly (42.6% and 54.1%, respectively). In addition, among all admissions of adults to the ED, women's percentage decreased while men's admission ratios increased during the pandemic period. Admissions to ED declined 47.7% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the year before.

CONCLUSION

Cases of VAW tend to increase during the pandemic, and health care settings should be well-organized to respond to survivors.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Practice of Forensic Medicine: An Overview

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forensic sciences, on the one hand, contributed to gaining knowledge about different aspects of the pandemic, while on the other hand, forensic professionals were called on to quickly adapt their activities to respond adequately to the changes imposed by the pandemic. This review aims to clarify the state of the art in forensic medicine at the time of COVID-19, discussing the following: the influence of external factors on forensic activities, the impact of autopsy practice on COVID-19 and vice-versa, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples, forensic personnel activities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the global vaccination program and forensic sciences, forensic undergraduate education during and after the imposed COVID-19 lockdown, and the medico-legal implications in medical malpractice claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced different aspects of human life, and, accordingly, the practical activities of forensic sciences that are defined as multidisciplinary, involving different expertise. Indeed, the activities are very different, including crime scene investigation (CSI), external examination, autopsy, and genetic and toxicological examinations of tissues and/or biological fluids. At the same time, forensic professionals may have direct contact with subjects in life, such as in the case of abuse victims (in some cases involving children), collecting biological samples from suspects, or visiting subjects in the case of physical examinations. In this scenario, forensic professionals are called on to implement methods to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, wearing adequate PPE, and working in environments with a reduced risk of infection. Consequently, in the pandemic era, the costs involved for forensic sciences were substantially increased.