DFV and General Practice
Last updated May 15, 2023
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By providing general practice with information, tools, resources, and referral pathways more patients experiencing DFV will be identified and supported, ultimately lowering the morbidity and mortality of victim/survivors and improving quality of life.
The PHN encourages General Practice to participate in formal whole of practice training in DFV, to compliment the information in the GP Toolkit. Please contact the PHN at safeandhealthy@thephn.com.au or DFV Local Link to find out more about the training. Specific DFV Local Link contact details are available under Services of this toolkit.
DFV harms physical health, mental health, and has lasting intergenerational impacts.
The prevalence of DFV in General Practice is high with one in 10 women attending having experienced DFV in last 12 months. A full time GP in a busy suburban practice will see up to five women a week who have been subjected to DFV, one or two who will have experienced severe abuse. Most of these women are not identified and continue to remain at significant risk of harm.
One in four women attending General Practice with current depression experienced DFV in the last 12 months (Hegarty, O'Doherty, Astbury, & Gunn, 2012). This may indicate that earlier recognition and intervention where domestic violence is present has the potential to reduce the burden of mental health care on GPs by ensuring appropriate, tailored, and effective supports for domestic violence victim/survivors.
Primary Prevention – Strong Relationships, Strong Health
DFV is the top risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australian women aged 18 -44 years.
Primary prevention, especially physical activity, healthy eating, and smoking cessation has long been part of a GPs’ health care recommendations. So too do GPs have a role in the prevention of DFV.
It is widely accepted now that all forms of intimate partner violence are preventable. General Practice is well-placed to promote healthy, respectful, and nonviolent relationships and play an important role in the prevention of DFV.
Prevent DFV by engaging in the following activities:
- Challenge the condoning of any form of violence, abuse, or control against women
- Promote independence and decision making for women
- Challenge gender stereotypes and roles (inTouch, 2020)
- Promote positive, equal, and respectful relationships and interactions between men and women
- Know the signs of an unhealthy relationship and address these with patients
- Promote equality between men and women
Your Local Link and General Practice
Your DFV Local Link sits within the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) and provides practitioners with a single referral pathway into local DFV and related services. Local Links are focused workers who support people who are experiencing DFV or who may require specialised services, such as people who are First Nations, people from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background, or those who identify as LGBTQ+. This includes:
- Safety planning and risk assessment
- Escalation to Safety Action Meeting for serious threat cases
- Advocacy and support with legal and police matters
- On referral for additional support
DFV Local Links work on a ‘no wrong door policy’. This means if you refer to or contact an out of area office, they will ensure you and your patient are directed to the most appropriate service for you. Learn more from the Video below:
Specific Local LINK contact details are located on the Services page of this toolkit.
References
- inTouch. (2020). Empowering faith and community leaders to prevent violence against women: Lessons from the Empowering Communities Initiative.