Video Counselling and Safety Planning App to Support Pregnant Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence in Denmark and Spain during COVID-19
ABSTRACT
Background:
Isolation was a consequence of the COVID-19 lockdowns, which led to increased incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV). During antenatal care it is possible to screen pregnant women for IPV; this offers a unique opportunity for early intervention. During the pandemic, we designed and implemented a digital IPV intervention tailored to pregnant women in Denmark and Spain.
Objective:
To identify pregnant women exposed to IPV through digital screening and offering those who screen positive counselling via video as well as a safety planning app.
Methods:
Pregnant women attending antenatal care were screened for IPV through a digital questionnaire. Women who screened positive were offered six video consultations with an IPV-counsellor and provided with access to a dedicated safety planning app. In-depth interviews inspired by the Model for Assessment of Telemedicine Applications (MAST) were conducted with counsellors and participants. The intervention was co-created with women who have been exposed to IPV, NGOs, and health care providers.
Results:
Despite the COVID-19 shutdowns more than 15,000 pregnant women have been screened for IPV since January 2021. Qualitative interviews with women who completed the intervention as well as IPV-counsellors show broad acceptance of the VC, particularly the ability to participate from a safe environment and talking to a stranger about sensitive and stigmatizing issues. Preliminary findings show that both women and counsellors find the video counselling highly supportive, empowering, and aligned with the needs for safety. The majority indicate improved well-being after the intervention and neither counsellors nor participants see video counselling as a barrier towards talking about the sensitive topics such as IPV. The safety app was not perceived as effective.
Conclusions:
The preliminary results show that video counselling conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic support pregnant women exposed to IPV and is highly feasible and accepted in both Denmark and Spain.
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