Health professionals? beliefs about domestic abuse and the impact these have on their responses to disclosure: A critical incident technique study

Domestic abuse is increasingly recognised as a serious, worldwide public health concern. There is a significant body of literature regarding domestic abuse, but little is known about health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse disclosure. In addition, the intersection between health professionals' beliefs and abused women's views remains uninvestigated. This briefing summaries a two-phase, qualitative study using Critical Incident Technique (CIT) that aimed to explore community health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse and the issue of disclosure. The study involved semi-structured, individual CIT interviews with health professionals and focus groups with women who had experienced domestic abuse. Overall, the study shows the dynamic interaction between women's and health professionals' beliefs about domestic abuse and readiness to discuss and respond to it. Understanding these complex dynamics assists in the employment of appropriate strategies to support women post-disclosure.