Family Practice Vol. 16, No. 3, 238-244
© Oxford University Press 1999
"I was always on guard"—an exploration of woman abuse in a group of women with musculoskeletal pain
Department of Family Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå and
a Research Programme for Gender and Work, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Objectives. We aimed to explore experiences of abuse of women, and the way it was described and hinted at, in a group of women suffering from biomedically undefined long-term musculoskeletal pain (UMSD).
Method. Twenty women patients participated. Data were gained through repeated semi-structured interviews conducted over 2 years and qualitatively analysed according to grounded theory.
Results. Eleven participants had experienced abuse. Abuse was difficult to disclose due to shame, fear of the listener's preconceptions and fear of the abuser. In the interviews it was diminished, ‘sugar-coated’ and renamed. However, the women gave hints of abuse before avowing it. ‘An understanding listener’, who was expected to apprehend the hints, ask about abuse and confirm that it was valid to talk about it, was described as a precondition for disclosure.
Conclusion. This study suggests that it is important to explore woman abuse when investigating and treating UMSD. When there are hints of abuse, one should avoid blaming, stand by, be patient and ask about abuse even if the woman has once negated it. Fear of the abuser permeated the narratives and it is therefore suggested that doctors must consider carefully the danger involved.
Keywords. Consultation, musculoskeletal pain, undefined disorders, woman abuse, women's health.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. H L. F. Wong, A. D. Jonge, F. Wester, S. S L Mol, R. R Romkens, and T. Lagro-Janssen Discussing partner abuse: does doctor's gender really matter? Fam. Pract., October 1, 2006; 23(5): 578 - 586. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Loxton, M. Schofield, R. Hussain, and G. Mishra History of Domestic Violence and Physical Health in Midlife Violence Against Women, August 1, 2006; 12(8): 715 - 731. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. I. Garcia-Linares, S. Sanchez-Lorente, C. L. Coe, and M. Martinez Intimate Male Partner Violence Impairs Immune Control Over Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Physically and Psychologically Abused Women Psychosom Med, November 1, 2004; 66(6): 965 - 972. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Helweg-Larsen and M. Kruse Violence against women and consequent health problems: a register-based study Scand J Public Health, January 1, 2003; 31(1): 51 - 57. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 O. W. BARNETT Why Battered Women Do Not Leave, Part 2: External Inhibiting Factors--Social Support and Internal Inhibiting Factors Trauma Violence Abuse, January 1, 2001; 2(1): 3 - 35. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Krantz and P.-O. Östergren The association between violence victimisation and common symptoms in Swedish women J Epidemiol Community Health, November 1, 2000; 54(11): 815 - 821. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Risberg, E. Lundgren, and G. Westman Prevalence of sexualized violence among women: A population-based study in a primary healthcare district Scand J Public Health, October 1, 1999; 27(4): 247 - 253. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|