Protection Order Petitioners' Health Care Utilization

• NCJ Number: 230622
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 16 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 679-690
• Author(s): Catherine Cerulli; Elizabeth A. Edwardsen; Jeremy Duda; Kenneth R. Conner; Eric Caine
• Date Published: June 2010
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH71897; MH018911
• Sponsoring Agency: Mental Health Assoc of Rochester /Monroe Co.; Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined battered women's use of medical and legal services.

Abstract

Little work has explored the extent to which female victims of intimate partner violence use medical and legal services. In this cross-sectional study of a sample of women seeking orders of protection at family court (N = 95), the authors report descriptive, self-report data on health care utilization and insurance coverage. Although 85 percent of the petitioners had private or public health insurance, 39 percent reported delayed medical care, and 14 percent had not obtained medical care of any kind. The response to address interpersonal violence victimization should attempt to connect women using the courts with needed health care services. Tables, figure, appendix, and references (Published Abstract)