Do We Care? Portuguese Healthcare Professionals’ Practices and Related Barriers to Addressing Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

Introduction Although practice guidelines for universal and routine screening and intervention for intimate partner violence have been available in Portugal for several years, it remains unclear how often and in which circumstances healthcare professionals adhere to these guidelines. This study aims to investigate the current practices of Portuguese healthcare professionals regarding intimate partner violence during the pregnancy and postpartum periods (IPV-PPP) and to examine the contribution of individual and institutional barriers to the explanation of these practices. Methods Between June 2019 and March 2020, a total of 279 healthcare professionals (physicians, nurses, psychologists, and social assistants) assisting pregnant or postpartum women completed a self-report questionnaire to assess their current IPV-PPP practices and related barriers. Results On average, the participants rarely screened and applied the intervention measures suggested by the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health. Significant and positive correlations between screening and intervention practices were found. The professional group, a lack of communication skills, and less training in IPV were related to a lower frequency of screening practices and accounted for 26% of the total variance. Regarding intervention practices, more professional experience contributed to explaining 16% of the variance. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of overcoming these modifiable and relevant barriers to promote more screening and intervention practices in reproductive healthcare services. Policy Implications The presence of screening tools and intervention protocols is insufficient to ensure these practices. Training in IPV-PPP is the key to disseminating knowledge and to promoting healthcare professionals’ communication skills to effectively contribute to reduce/prevent IPV-PPP.