Intimate Partner Violence: Clinical Outcomes, Recognition and Management Techniques

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of domestic violence, which not only harms the victim's physical and mental health and life safety but also leads to the degradation of marriage, family, and children's development. IPV occurs among all socioeconomic, religious, and cultural groups. About a quarter of Chinese women have suffered some forms of IPV from their partner. Most patients will not present to the clinic with IPV. It is difficult yet essential for clinicians to quickly identify possible IPV among various non-specific symptoms and signs. There are no official guidelines for diagnosing and treating IPV in China, and the Chinese literature on IPV is scarce. This paper summarizes the evidence in English literature on IPV, focusing on the clinical outcome, identification, and management techniques of IPV, and attempts to discuss how this evidence can be applied to China.

Keywords

• intimate partner violence|domestic violence|ipv screening tool|signs and symptoms|diagnostic screening programs|general practitioners