Review of psychological issues in victims of domestic violence seen in emergency settings.
When a history of domestic violence is discovered during a universal screening in the emergency department, emergency staff typically feel ill equipped to address the underlying psychological, behavioral, and health problems of the victim. This article reviews the known characteristics of ongoing relationships in which one partner exerts coercive control over another, with emphasis on the effects of abuse on the victim's physical and mental health. These effects include actual injury, multiple stress-related physical conditions, substance abuse, and a variety of psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety and anxiety disorders, dissociation and dissociative disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. A patient-centered approach allows emergency response staff to tailor intervention to victims' real and perceived needs, fulfilling their professional obligation to provide meaningful help to female victims of domestic violence seen in emergency settings.