Perspectives

Intimate Partner Violence: Physicians Must Address Physical and Mental Health Harms

Authors: Donna Ewy, MD, DBe, MTS, MA, FAAFP, CMD

Abstract

Physicians have a professional obligation to screen women for intimate partner violence (IPV), refer those who screen positive to community services, and arrange follow-up visits. When women screen positive for IPV, they should also be screened for mental health harms. The American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics calls on physicians to move beyond surface care for women experiencing IPV. Principles 1, 7, and 8 emphasize dignity, improving public health, and responsibility to the patient.1 Together they form the backbone of how physicians need to approach the care of patients affected by IPV. Although IPV carries risks of immediate potential for harm and prolonged harms including mental illness, these three principles should guide the physician response to IPV.

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