Battered wife syndrome: overview and presentation in the office setting

Spouse abuse is an under diagnosed entity in primary care. It is common in all social classes of both men and women. It is a cyclic phenomenon that tends to increase in severity and frequency. This article reviews the psychological factors of the man and the woman; the signs and symptoms of abuse; the reasons abused women stay or leave, and treatment modalities. Also discussed are the results of two studies performed by the authors. The first study was an anonymous survey of 218 women to determine the rate of spouse abuse to female patients in two family practice clinics. In the second study 14 clinic patients who volunteered for an interview were asked what they expected from their family doctor in regards to spouse abuse.