Post-traumatic stress disorders in women victims-survivors of intimate partner violence: a mixed-methods pilot study in a French coordinated structure

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to examine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims-survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) consulting at the specialised and original facility ‘Maison des Femmes’ (MdF) or in two close municipal health centres (MHCs).Design A mixed-methods study using a convergent parallel design from July 2020 to June 2021.Setting/participants A questionnaire was proposed to women aged 18 years and over having suffered from IPV, in the MdF and in two MHCs. We also conducted qualitative interviews with a subsample of the women, asking for victim-survivors’ perceptions of the effect of the MdF’s care.Primary and secondary outcome measures The presence of a PTSD using the PTSD self-report checklist of symptoms, possibility of reaching women by phone 6 months after the inclusion visit, level of self-rated global health, number of emergency visits in the past 6 months, substances use, readiness to change and safety behaviours.Results A total of 67 women (mean age: 34 years (SD=9.7)) responded to our questionnaire. PTSD diagnosis was retained for 40 women (59.7%). Around 30% of participants self-rated their global health as bad. Less than 30% (n=18) of women were regular smokers, and only 7.5% of participants had a problematic alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption score ≥4), 19.4% women used psychotropic drugs. Six months after inclusion, half of participants had been reached by phone. Analysis of the qualitative interviews clarified victim-survivors’ perceptions of the MdF’s specific care: social networking, multidisciplinary approach, specialised listening, healthcare facilities, evasion and ‘feeling at home’.Conclusions The high prevalence of PTSD at inclusion was nearly the same between the three centres. This mixed-methods comparison will serve as a pilot study for a larger comparative trial to assess the long-term impact of the MdF’s specialised care on victims-survivors’ mental health, compared with the care of uncoordinated structures.Trial registration number NCT04304469.