Adolescents and ipv

1. Adolescents and ipv Dawn Stueven Fadden RN, BAN

2. Research by Amar & Gennaro (2005)Dating Violence In College Women • Results included: • 48% (n=412) of respondents had experienced IPV in their history • 39% (n=160) of these experienced multiple types of violence • Multiple types of violence correlated with a higher incidence of physical injuries and higher rates of mental health symptoms • Victims of violence were most likely to confide in friends; confiding in others was far less likely • Barriers to communicating with health care providers may include fear of retaliation, embarrassment, scorn from the provider, and misunderstanding from the staff.

3. Research by Renker (2006)Adolescent Perinatal Violence Assessment • Evaluated reasons why adolescents might be hesitant to report IPV, even when asked • Screened adolescents with a known history of IPV during or just before a recent pregnancy • Results included: • Adolescents have complex reasons for revealing or keeping private their experiences with interpersonal violence • Involved identified categories of power/powerlessness, hope/fear, trust/mistrust, and action/inertia. • Adolescents are simultaneously negotiating the developmental tasks of adolescence and pregnancy while living in a world of violence

4. Research by Samargia, Saewyc, & Elliot (2006)Adolescent Barriers to Mental Health Care • Study sought to identify adolescent-stated barriers to needed mental health care and the demographics that describe such a group • Barriers included: • Structural Barriers • No transportation, no way to pay, no one to come along • Non-structural barriers • Thought the problem would go away, didn’t want others to know, hard to find the time • Demographic data showed that teens from two parent households were more likely to forego needed mental health care • These teens may be more hidden from the social service system, as two parent households are likely to have more economic and human resources

5. Research by Teagle & Brindis (1998)Adolescent Motivators/Barriers to Accessing Prenatal Care • Research compared provider responses to adolescent responses to questions concerning access to prenatal care • Overall, adolescents reported system-related barriers rather than personal barriers, while providers predicted the opposite • 99% of adolescent responders were primarily motivated to access prenatal care due to concerns about the baby’s health • 33% of providers felt that this was the primary concern • The primary answer from providers was the patient’s concern that they weren’t feeling well

6. EBP implications • Providers should continue to screen routinely for IPV, should work to decrease embarrassment for the patient, and decrease the likelihood that a patient will feel scorn or misunderstanding from the provider. • Understanding abused adolescents’ concerns for interacting with health care providers is essential to form a working relationship for health promotion and disease/trauma prevention. • School and community-based interventions can facilitate youth access to mental health services. • Providers need education in order to bridge the communication gap with adolescent patients, and work to develop better service delivery strategies.

7. References • Amar, A.F., & Gennaro, S. (2006). Dating violence in college women: Associated physical injury, healthcare usage, and mental health symptoms. Nursing Research, 54(4), 235-242. • Renker, P.R. (2006). Perinatal violence assessment: teenagers’ rationale for denying violence when asked. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing,35(1), 56-67. • Samargia, L.A., Saewyc, E.M., & Elliot, B.A. (2006). Foregone mental health care and self-reported access barriers among adolescents. Journal of School Nursing,22(1), 17-24. • Teagle, S.E., & Brindis, C.D. (1998). Perceptions and motivators and barriers to public prenatal care among first-time and follow-up adolescent patients and their providers. Maternal and Child Health Journal,2(1), 15-24.