A Concern For Health Care Providers

How can a health care provider tell if a person is a victim of Domestic violence? One important way that health care providers can identify domestic violence is by routine screening of all patients. Domestic violence has indicators:

Physical Indicators

• History of recurrent injuries, particularly to the head, neck, torso, breasts, abdomen or genitals
• Unexplained or inconsistently explained injuries
• Delay in seeking treatment
• Physical injury during pregnancy, especially on the breast or abdomen
• Chronic pain symptoms with no evident cause
• Presence of a partner who seems overly protective or controlling

Behavioral Indicators

• Depression
• Thoughts of suicide
• Anxiety and/or panic attacks
• Sleeplessness
• Alcohol/substance abuse problems

Note: Due to ineligibility or funding issues, not all services are available in every case

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