Detection and Treatment of Wife Abuse in Aboriginal Communities by Primary Care Physicians: Preliminary Findings

Abstract

Wife abuse occurs in every social class, at every income level, and among all ethnic groups. Aboriginal communities have experienced cultural upheaval that has contributed to increased family violence. This article describes how being aboriginal may affect the detection and treatment of wife abuse among Canadian primary care physicians. Respondents were Canadian primary care physicians who were English-speaking, actively prescribing, and from the 10 provinces. Physicians responded to a mailed self-report survey. The response rate was 963 (61%). Primary care physicians with the highest number of aboriginal patients in their practices believe that they are missing more cases of abuse than do those with fewer patients. Yet those with a high proportion of these patients report less of a need for continuing medical education in the area of physician–patient relationships. All physicians dealing with these cultural groups report that cultural barriers were a concern with respect to wife abuse. Medical educators need to think about how best to train physicians to practice among Native Canadians and work collaboratively for community-based action against wife abuse.