Fear Of Others' Reactions Further Hinders Their Care

Shame, denial and fear of others' reactions keep many abused women from confiding in their physicians, a Johns Hopkins study among Baltimore women has found.

Although most of the women queried had sought medical attention for a variety of problems during the past year, only one in three discussed their abuse with doctors. While half of the women reported positive experiences with their physicians, some noted that the clinicians didn't listen or seemed uncaring, uncomfortable with the topic of abuse, too busy or only interested in money.

The study, published in the August issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, used questionnaires and focus groups to survey 21 Baltimore-area victims of domestic violence who already were participating in group therapy. Most of the women were single, separated or divorced, from a mix of income levels. The feelings of fear, shame and distrust crossed all class lines.

"Other studies indicate that as many as 44 percent of women who seek medical attention have been abused at some point in their lives, yet most physicians do not routinely screen their patients for abuse," says Jeanne McCauley, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of the study and a physician advisor for the Johns Hopkins Medical Services Corp. "Our study suggests that many of the barriers to discussing abuse could be overcome by a physician's understanding of the emotions surrounding abuse and the unique treatment concerns of abused women."

Eighteen of the women (88 percent) sought medical attention during the previous year. Their symptoms, which either began or worsened with abuse, included asthma, hypertension, headaches, eye pain, chest pain, stomach pains, back problems, vaginal bleeding, weight changes, insomnia, depression and anxiety. Although most women did not recognize an association between abuse and these symptoms, on
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Contact: Karen Infeld
kinfeld@jhmi.edu
(410) 955-1534
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
13-Aug-1998