Psychological consequences of violence: the intervention in the Emergency Department (ED)

Abstract

Injury is not the most common physical health outcome of gender-based abuse. The most common are “psychological disorders".
Many women come to the ED with severe injuries, but the link between injuries and domestic violence is often not recognised and women don’t receive appropriate treatment. The article points out the importance of giving health professionals the skills and training to increase their awareness and understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence, and to develop procedures for handling such cases in the most effective way. Seven years of “the Pink Pathway” gender practice experimented by the authors’ team have proven that psychological intervention integrated with medical intervention obtains the best results regarding the health of women and their way out of violence.
Therefore the article proposes specific gender guidelines in EDs and a pathway to focus on all the effects of violence.