A psychosocial approach to violence against women in an emergency medical department in the COVID-19 context: challenges and limitations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of partner-violence against women in several countries including developing countries in North America has worsened. In response, international and national institutions have recommended the introduction of healthcare protocols for women survivors of intimate-partner violence against women. This article presents the case of a woman who went to an emergency department seeking medical and psychological care for the intimate partner violence she experienced. It documents the physical and psychological conditions detected, the psychosocial interventions provided and the systematic factors that perpetuate revictimisation and impede access to legal protection and safety for women survivors of violence. Drawing on the conclusions reached in the presented case study, as well as recommendations extracted from international guidelines and research literature, the authors propose a protocol for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of survivors of intimate partner violence seeking medical care in an emergency department.