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Purpose Intimate partner violence and women's suicidality are known to be positively correlated; however, behaviour patterns and processes on managing these experiences are not well known. The purpose of this study was to understand how women with a history of intimate partner violence seek help for suicidality through an exploration of women's perspectives on the opportunities and barriers to getting help. Methods A qualitative grounded theory and photovoice study using a critical theory philosophical underpinning was used to understand women's experience seeking help for suicidality within health services. One-to-one interviews occurred with 32 women from [Area of Country], 7 of whom participated in 5 group meetings where they shared self-generated photos that reflected their experiences. Interview and photovoice meeting transcripts were analyzed with a grounded theory approach. Results Women sought to Feel Human by Enduring and Distancing, a way of managing System Entrapment or a sense of dehumanization from health care providers' invalidation. Women Endured unfair treatment to avoid bothering health care providers and Distanced from the system to protect against invalidation even if it means not having access to professional help. Patterns of Enduring System Entrapment and Distancing from the System was found to parallel ways of managing coercive control from an abusive partner, named Abuser Entrapment, and managing hopelessness related to suicidality, named Trauma Entrapment. Conclusion Trauma and violence informed interventions are discussed, including using a relational approach to understanding how the use of self, the environment, and systemic structures influences women's capacity to continue living., Author(s): Petrea Taylor [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/05nkf0n29, grid.266820.8, 0000 0004 0402 6152, University of New Brunswick, , Moncton, Canada Introduction An epidemiological analysis based on the World Health Organization [...]

Among men, gender and views about violence contribute to how men, and others, identify and respond to violence and related outcomes. Despite this, little is known about men's perspectives regarding gender/masculinities and cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) exposure. Using the qualitative method of Interpretative description, the complex relationship between gender and violence for men who have experienced CLV was explored. Interviews with thirty-two men who experienced CLV revealed a complex interrelation between masculinity and violence (MV interconnectedness). This intricate connection is difficult to separate due to persistent normalization and acceptance of violence. Because violence is one way that men live up to pressure to 'be a man,' MV interconnectedness positively contributes to men's sense of self. However, MV interconnectedness also contributes to significant harm. The contradictory nature of MV interconnectedness and the tension that arises when men contemplate the link between gender and violence was labelled 'the paradox'. As men grapple with the paradox, and the ways that gender and violence have influenced their lives, they are able to move toward disconnecting violence from how they define themselves as men. The paradox is a significant addition to the understanding of how men may reject the narrative that masculinity and violence are interconnected. MV Interconnectedness demonstrates that the link between masculinity and violence perpetration is not straightforward. Normalization and acceptance of violence calls for efforts to counteract the messages and pressures boys and men receive that influence their behaviour. Plain language summary: Understanding masculinity and violence interconnectedness among men with cumulative lifetime violence histories Among men, gender and views about violence contribute to how men, and others, identify and respond to violence and related outcomes. Despite this, little is known about men's perspectives regarding gender/masculinities and cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) exposure. Using Interpretive Description analysis of qualitative interviews with men, we explored the complex relationship between gender and violence for men who have experienced CLV. This revealed a complex interrelationship between masculinity and violence (MV interconnectedness). This intricate connection is difficult to separate due to persistent normalization and acceptance of violence. Because violence is one way that men live up to pressure to "be a man," MV interconnectedness positively contributes to men's sense of self. However, MV interconnectedness also contributes to significant harm. The contradictory nature of MV interconnectedness and the tension that arises when men contemplate the link between gender and violence was labelled "the paradox." As men grapple with the paradox, and the ways that gender and violence have influenced their lives, they are able to move toward disconnecting violence from how they define themselves as men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) encompasses many different types and contexts of violence that occur across the lifespan and is associated with negative mental health outcomes in men; however, little attention has been paid to other factors that can influence these relationships such as attachment style. In this analysis, our focus is to understand how attachment styles directly and indirectly through CLV affect men's mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use. Data from 597 Canadian men with lifetime experiences of violence who participated in our national online survey focusing on violence and health were used for mediation analysis. Results indicated that CLV severity mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) and depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use. Although attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance each directly affected depression, anxiety, and PTSD, neither directly affected alcohol use. Importantly, these findings provide the first evidence that the mechanism by which anxious attachment affects alcohol use is through CLV severity. These findings highlight the importance of anxious attachment on mental health outcomes for men who have experienced CLV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To create a descriptive profile of chronic pain severity in men with lifetime cumulative violence histories, as a target and/or a perpetrator, and investigate how chronic pain severity is associated with and predicted by lifetime cumulative violence severity and known determinants of chronic pain. Methods Analysis of variance and binary logistic regression were performed on data collected in an online survey with a community convenience sample of 653 men who reported experiences of lifetime violence. Results The prevalence of high-intensity / high-disability pain in men with lifetime violence was 35.8%. Total Cumulative Lifetime Violence Severity-44 (CLVS-44) scores were significantly associated with high-intensity / high-disability chronic pain measured by the Chronic Pain Grade Scale (odds ratio= 8.40). In a model with 10 CLVS-44 subscale scores, only psychological workplace violence as a target (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]= 1.44) and lifetime family physical violence as a target (aOR= 1.42) significantly predicted chronic pain severity. In a multivariate model, chronic pain severity was predicted by CLVS-44 total score (aOR= 2.69), age (aOR= 1.02), injury with temporary impairment (aOR= 1.99), number of chronic conditions (aOR= 1.37), and depressive symptoms (aOR= 1.03). Conclusion The association between lifetime cumulative violence severity and chronic pain severity in men is important new information suggesting the need for trauma- and violence-informed approaches to assessment and intervention with men. This is the first analysis using CLVS-44 subscales to understand which configurations of lifetime cumulative violence may be most predictive of chronic pain severity; further investigation is needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to power imbalances when seeking help for suicidality after having been controlled within intimate partner violence (IPV) is crucial in improving health care delivery. Well documented in the literature is the correlation between suicidality and IPV and that help-seeking for each is difficult; however, a gap exists when both intersect. The process of women's help-seeking is explored in this feminist grounded theory and photovoice multiple qualitative method study. Analysis of interviews with 32 women from New Brunswick, Canada, and photovoice meetings with seven women revealed a basic psycho-social problem. System Entrapment or being dehumanized while seeking help for suicidality occurred as a result of perceived invalidation from health care providers' lack of empathy. Further harm while providing services to women feeling suicidal can be prevented with a shift from an individualist model toward a trauma and violence informed approach. Understanding the contextual factors influencing women's suicidality may reduce victim blaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent Canadian legalization of cannabis for non-medical use underscores the need to understand patterns and correlates of cannabis use among men who may be more likely than women to become problematic cannabis users. Evidence supporting an association between substance use and violence is accumulating. Current knowledge of relationships among patterns of cannabis use, violence, gender and health is limited by dichotomous measurement of cannabis use and a focus on individual types of violence rather than lifetime cumulative violence., Methods: We collected online survey data between April 2016 and Septermber 2017 from a community convenience sample of 589 Eastern Canadian men ages 19 to 65 years and explored how socio-demographic characteristics, gender, and health varied by past-year patterns of cannabis use (i.e., daily, sometimes, never) in the total sample and by higher and lower cumulative lifetime violence severity (CLVS) measured by a 64-item CLVS scale score (1 to 4)., Results: Overall prevalence of cannabis use was 46.6% and differed significantly between lower (38.1%) and higher (55.3%) CLVS groups (χ 2 (1) = 17.42, p = .000). Daily cannabis use was more likely in the higher (25.1%) than the lower group (11.9%, χ 2 (2) = 31.53, p < .001). In the total sample, daily use was significantly associated with being single, less education, lower income, some gender norms, health problems, and use of other substances. Significant associations were found for sometimes cannabis use with age group 19 to 24 years, being single, some gender norms, and hazardous and binge drinking. Never use was associated with being married, more education, higher income, being older, not using other substances, and not having mental health problems. Associations between cannabis use patterns and many variables were found in both CLVS groups but effect sizes were frequently larger in the higher group., Conclusions: These results add substantively to knowledge of relationships among lifetime cumulative violence, patterns of cannabis use, gender, socio-demographic indicators and health problems and may inform theoretical models for future testing. Additionally, findings provide critical information for the design of health promotion strategies targeted towards those most at risk in the current climate of cannabis legalization.