eScholarship@UMMS

Title

Inquiring into our past: when the doctor is a survivor of abuse

Authors

Lucy M. Candib, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
Judith A. Savageau, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
Linda F. Weinreb, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
George W. Reed, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavorial Medicine

Publication Date

2012-6

Document Type

Article

Subjects

Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; Domestic Violence; Physicians, Primary Care; Physician's Practice Patterns

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Preventive Medicine | Primary Care

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals like other adults have a substantial exposure to childhood and adult victimization, but the prevalence of abuse experiences among practicing family physicians has not been examined. Also unclear is the impact of such personal experiences of abuse on physicians' screening practices for childhood abuse among their patients and the personal and professional barriers to such screening.

METHODS: We surveyed Massachusetts family physicians about their screening practices of adult patients for a history of childhood abuse and found that 33.6% had some experience of personal trauma, with 42.4% of women and 24.3% of men reporting some kind of lifetime personal abuse, including witnessing violence between their parents. These rates are comparable to or higher than those reported in prior studies of physicians' histories of abuse.

RESULTS: Physicians with a past history of trauma were more likely to feel confident in screening and less likely to perceive time as a barrier to screening.

CONCLUSIONS: Given the high prevalence of prior childhood and victimization of both men and women physicians with the associated effects on their clinical work, we recommend that educational and training settings adopt specific competencies to provide safe and confidential environments where trainees can safely explore these issues and the potential impact on their clinical practice and well-being.

Source

Fam Med. 2012 Jun;44(6):416-24. Link to article on publisher's website

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Family medicine

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

PubMed ID

22733419

Repository Citation

Candib LM, Savageau JA, Weinreb LF, Reed GW. (2012). Inquiring into our past: when the doctor is a survivor of abuse. Family Medicine and Community Health Publications. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/fmch_articles/226