BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health issue with profound physical, psychological, and social consequences. Despite legislative measures in the Philippines, there is limited research on the profile of IPV survivors consulting specialized healthcare units.

This study aimed to describe the profile of female survivors of IPV consulting at the Philippine General Hospital Women’s Desk (PGH-WD), focusing on sociodemographic, psychological, relationship, community, and partner factors as contributors to their risk of experiencing IPV.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze data from IPV survivors who consulted the PGH-WD between January 2022 and December 2023. Data collection involved a chart review of eligible cases, guided by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria required that participants be female survivors of IPV aged 19 years and above, with consultations specifically related to IPV. Exclusion criteria included male survivors, non-Filipino nationals, individuals not residing in the Philippines, and charts missing key components. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze sociodemographic, psychological, relationship, community, and partner-related factors. Survivors were categorized into low-, moderate-, or high-risk groups based on the number of identified risk factors.

A total of 518 charts were reviewed, of which 106 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Survivors’ ages ranged from 19 to 74 years, with 46 (43.4%) aged 19–34. Most survivors belonged to lower socioeconomic strata, with 61 (57.5%) categorized as poor. Psychological distress was common, with 24 (22.6%) reporting depression and 22 (20.8%) having attempted suicide. Relationship factors included dissatisfaction in 91 cases (85.9%) and prior abuse by partners in 88 (83.0%). Community factors showed that 104 survivors (98.1%) were aware of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children (Anti-VAWC) law, and 101 (95.5%) reported having social support networks. Partner-related factors were less frequently reported, with 3 survivors (2.8%) indicating perpetrator substance use and 2 (1.9%) reporting histories of childhood abuse. Risk profiling categorized survivors into low-risk (39/106, 36.8%), moderate-risk (39/106, 36.8%), and high-risk (28/106, 26.4%) groups based on the number of identified risk factors.

This study provided a detailed profile of female IPV survivors consulting at the PGH-WD. Survivors were predominantly younger women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, with high rates of psychological distress, relationship dissatisfaction, and histories of prior partner abuse. Community factors, including strong social support networks and awareness of the Anti-VAWC law, were identified as potential protective mechanisms post-IPV.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to describe patterns of IPV-associated ophthalmic injuries among women: Specifically, it seeks to identify factors associated with ophthalmic injuries in women secondary to IPV, determine practices and/or protocols in identifying IPV-associated ophthalmic injuries, and to examine practices in referral to ancillary services for IPV survivors with such injuries.

A systematic literature search was conducted for observational studies published from 2009 to 2022 using PubMed, Google Scholar, HERDIN, and the Cochrane Library. Studies were screened and appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) for risk of bias. Relevant data on injury types, screening protocols, and referral practices were extracted and synthesized. Analysis of risk of bias (ROB) for each study utilizing the NOS scale indicated that four studies exhibited a good ROB.

A total of 567 female patients with IPV-related facial injuries were included in the selected studies. Of these, 98 cases (17.28%) involved ophthalmic injuries, including orbital fractures, subconjunctival hemorrhages, and contusions. Factors associated with these injuries included delayed healthcare-seeking behavior, bilateral and recurrent trauma, and psychological distress. Current practices in IPV identification were found to be inconsistent, with a lack of standardized screening protocols, especially in ophthalmology settings. Referral to ancillary services was often suboptimal due to poor interdepartmental coordination and absence of formal pathways.

There is a significant gap in the recognition and management of IPV-associated ophthalmic injuries among women. Establishing standardized screening protocols and improving referral systems can enhance care outcomes and provide holistic support for survivors, particularly in low-resource settings.

The increased usage of digital platforms for communication and networking, particularly after the pandemic has caused concern about exposure to bullying and sexual harassment, particularly among young children and adolescents. Cyberbullying (CB) and cyber sexual harassment (CSH), although considered less harmful by many, may cause graver psychological manifestations than their physical forms, due to their potential for wider reach, easier access to private and sensitive information, ability to conceal perpetrator identity and continuous exposure of the victim to the harmful acts. Among the various characteristics, there were differences between age groups and gender, as well as varied psychological and behavioral features among victims and perpetrators which included low self-esteem, low academic performance and interestingly, some victims who themselves, later engage in perpetrating CB on others. The strategies for the prevention of CB and CSH are similar to that of the traditional forms, which predominantly include raising awareness among students, teachers and parents. This article reviews the characteristics of CB and CSH and discusses the limitations in existing laws and statutes in combating CB and CSH while highlighting the need for improving the policies and guidelines on CB and CSH among educational institutions and workplaces.
Psychology, Adolescent ; Gender-Based Violence

Humans ; Intimate Partner Violence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Health workers are at risk of workplace violence, which can seriously affects their mental health and work status. This study aims to explore the mediating role of depression between workplace violence and job burnout among healthcare workers. METHODS: From January 10 to February 5, 2019, a questionnaire was distributed to frontline healthcare workers through the wenjuanxing platform using convenient sampling (snowball sampling). The questionnaire included the Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-2). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation model tests were conducted on the cross-sectional data collection. RESULTS: The study included 3 684 participants, with (31.63±7.69) years old. Among them 2 079(56.43%) were experienced workplace violence, 687(18.65%) were screened positive for depression, and 2 247(60.99%) were experienced high levels of occupational burnout. Correlation analysis showed positive association between workplace violence and depression, workplace violence and occupational burnout, depression and occupational burnout (r=0.135, r=0.107, r=0.335, respectively, all P<0.001). After controlling for covariates, workplace violence had an indirect effect on occupational burnout through depression, with a standardized coefficient of 0.25 (SE=0.02, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.28), accounting for 13.87% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the close relationship between workplace violence, depression, and occupational burnout among healthcare workers, with depression acting as a mediator between workplace violence and occupational burnout. This study suggests that it is necessary to improve the communication skills of healthcare workers, increase the installation of security systems and emergency plans, use new media platforms to convey positive energy between doctors and patients, and open channels for medical consultation and complaints. It is also necessary to provide guidance for healthcare workers' depressive emotions. Addressing depression among health care workers will help reduce the harm caused by workplace violence, protect the physical and mental health of healthcare workers, and reduce work burnout.
Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Burnout, Professional ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression/epidemiology* ; Workplace Violence ; Burnout, Psychological ; Health Personnel

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the national prevalence of violence against Filipino children and youth as experienced in various forms and settings. Methods: About 3,866 young people aged 13-24 years from 172 randomly selected barangays (villages) nationwide participated in the survey. The questionnaire was self-administered, interviewer-administered, or interviewer-assisted, depending on the capability and preference of the respondent. Female respondents were interviewed or assisted by a female field assistant, while male field assistants guided the male respondents. The questionnaire was translated into seven local dialects and administered in the most comprehensible language to the respondent. Results: Overall, 80 percent of the 3,866 respondents experienced any one form of violence in the home, school, workplace, and community. More than 3 in five suffered from physical, psychological, and peer violence, while 22.4 percent were victims of sexual abuse. Ten percent were physically neglected, while a fourth felt psychologically neglected by their caregivers. More boys claimed to have been sexually abused and physically neglected, while more girls were bullied and witnessed psychological violence in the home. VAC prevalence was, however, found to be highest among LGBTQ+s compared to heterosexual males and females. Despite the high prevalence, less than 10 percent of respondents disclosed their experiences of abuse, primarily to friends and parents. About one in 10 ever sought help from a professional. Conclusion There is a need to improve the implementation of child protection programs at the local level, where violence issues of heterosexual boys and girls and LGBTs are addressed.
Violence ; Child ; Adolescent

Motivation ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Violence ; Wounds and Injuries ; Crime/psychology*

This paper introduces the distribution of global lithium resources and absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of lithium in the human body, discussing the positive effect of lithium in the environment on the nervous system and its neuroprotective mechanism. The tiny amounts of lithium that enter the body through the food chain have been linked to beneficial health effects, such as improved cognition and reduced depression and violence. However, the safe dose range of lithium is narrow, and the health effects of drinking high concentrations of lithium water in high-lithium areas are unclear. It is necessary to study the health effects and mechanisms of different doses of lithium, especially high concentrations of lithium in the environment.
Central Nervous System ; Humans ; Lithium ; Violence

Objective: To explore the influence mechanism of intrusive thoughts and ego depletion between effects of workplace violence on burnout sense in clinical nurses. Methods: In May 2019, 10 cities in Henan Province and Fujian Province were selected as sampling cities by the method of grabbing random balls. Using the stratified cluster sampling method, nurses in clinical nursing posts in 22 third class hospitals and 23 second class hospitals were selected as the research objects for a cross-sectional epidemiological survey, including 1200 nurses. A total of 1159 valid questionnaires were collected, and the effective rate was 96.6%. 1159 clinical nurses were investigated by workplace violence scale, event impact scale, self-regulation fatigue scale and job burnout scale. The items contained in the questionnaire were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis with Harman single factor test, and the demographic characteristics of nurses' workplace violence, invasive thinking, self loss and job burnout were compared and analyzed with s-n-k. Results: Those with less than 3 years of service, those with more than 3 years of aggressive thinking and self loss score, and those with less than 3 years of job burnout score; The score of job burnout of unmarried was lower than that of married; The scores of invasive thinking and self loss of non editors were higher than those of current editors; The scores of workplace violence, aggressive thinking, self loss and job burnout of clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals were higher than those in secondary hospitals; The score of job burnout of undergraduate and above is higher than that of junior college and below; The scores of workplace violence, aggressive thinking and self loss of clinical nurses in surgical departments were higher than those in non-surgical departments; The job burnout score of those aged 36 and above was higher than that of those aged <36, The difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05) . Aggressive thinking and self attrition played a mediating role between workplace violence and job burnout. Workplace violence affected job burnout through the single mediating role of aggressive thinking, the single mediating role of self attrition, and the chain mediating role of aggressive thinking self attrition (β=0.16、0.08、0.03, 95%CI: 0.251~0.190、0.121~0.028、0.050~0.012, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Workplace violence affects burnout sense through the independent mediating role of intrusive thoughts and ego depletion and the chain mediating role of intrusive thoughts and ego depletion in clinical nurses.
Adult ; Aged ; Burnout, Professional ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Nurses ; Personnel Turnover ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workplace ; Workplace Violence

Aged ; Anxiety ; Health Status ; Humans ; Nurses ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology* ; Workplace Violence