Dr Johanna Skinner has worked in urban, regional and remote regions as a GP. Since the COVID pandemic, she has noticed a sharp increase in the number of women presenting with issues related both directly and indirectly to domestic abuse. Unfortunately, this coincided with an increased demand for services, so many of these women stayed trapped in relationships not only detrimental to their physical and emotional wellbeing, but with significant risks to their safety.
Many of them have children who are also negatively impacted by the abuse which is nearly always perpetrated by a male. During the lockdowns, these women found themselves trapped inside their homes with their abuser and the only place they felt safe to discuss their trauma was during a consultation, usually when presenting for routine health checks.
The repercussions of silence on this issue are enormous. Domestic abuse something that affects every one of us. How we respond is a reflection of the type of society we want to live in.
This article has been published in MiNDFOOD December 2021.
Read Behind Closed Doors by Dr Johanna Skinner (6 page pdf)
