Domestic violence among healthcare professionals in Sweden - Prevalence, associations with asking older patients about abuse and reactions to participating in training on abuse of older people.

backgroundDifferent forms of domestic violence, including abuse of older people (AOP), are prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes. The healthcare system is therefore often considered an important context for identifying victims of violence and providing referrals. However, healthcare professionals may also have their own experiences of domestic violence. The aims of this study were to: (1) investigate the prevalence of domestic violence, specifically intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence by other family members, among healthcare professionals in Sweden; (2) examine whether such exposure was associated with asking older patients about abuse, and (3) explore whether (a) experiences of domestic violence were associated with negative feelings when participating in AOP training and, (b) whether such negative feelings were associated with perceiving the training as valuable.

methodsCross-sectional survey data were collected from healthcare professionals who participated in the Responding to Elder Abuse in GERiAtric care educational intervention trial (REAGERA Edu).

resultsIPV was reported by 21.2% of participants (women 23.0%, men 8.8%), while 20.7% reported experiences of violence by other family members (women 21.6%, men 14.7%). Reporting multiple victimisation, i.e., both IPV and family violence, was associated with increased odds of asking patients about AOP (OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.14-5.28). Further, experiences of IPV only (OR = 2.98; 95% CI 1.54-5.77) and multiple victimisation (OR = 3.43; 95% CI 1.43-8.21) was associated with reporting negative feelings when participating in AOP training, but most respondents who reported negative feelings also recognised the value of the training.

conclusionsExperiences of domestic violence are common among healthcare professionals and are associated with a greater likelihood of asking patients questions about AOP and with negative feelings when participating in AOP training. A trauma-informed approach is important in training professionals to improve readiness to care for victims of AOP in healthcare while simultaneously avoiding re-traumatising healthcare professionals.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05065281. Retrospectively registered on September 28, 2021. The trial registration concerns the primary outcomes of the REAGERA educational intervention, i.e., effects of the intervention, while the current study report on secondary aims not mentioned in study protocol.