Intimate Partner Violence and the COVID-19 Pandemic

To describe the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and associated practice shifts on consultation and referral patterns of an intimate partner violence program at a large, urban children's hospital.

Secondary data analyses examined COVID-19-related variations in patterns of consultations and referrals in the 11 months before the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2019-February 29, 2020) and those after its emergence (April 1, 2020-February 28, 2021). χ2 analyses were used to examine differences in categorical outcomes of interest by time and practice setting, as well as differences within practice settings. Poisson regressions were used to compare the number of reasons for consultation and the number of referrals during the 2 periods.

Analyses revealed significant decreases in face-to-face consults (28% to 2%; P < .001) during the period after COVID-19 emergence alongside significant increases in the total number of consults (240 to 295; P < .001), primarily for emotional abuse (195 to 264; P = .007). Psychoeducation referrals also increased significantly (199 to 273; P < .001), whereas referrals to community resources decreased significantly (111 to 95; P < .001). Setting-specific analyses revealed that primary care settings were the only practice settings to demonstrate significant differences in overall number of and specific reasons for consultation and associated referral types before and after COVID-19 emergence.

Even during a shift away from face-to-face care, there was an increase in intimate partner violence referrals after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest the importance of pediatric primary care as a location for survivors to access support.