Search

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is an extreme outcome of intimate partner violence (IPV). It is a societal challenge that needs to be investigated over time to see whether changes occur concerning the incidence of IPH, IPH characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and contact with service providers. This study includes the total Norwegian cohort of IPHs between 1990 and 2019 with a final conviction (N = 224). Poisson regression was applied to model the incidence rate of homicide and IPH between 1990 and 2020 as well as the incidence rates of immigrant perpetrators and victims. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between characteristics and period 1990–2012 compared to after 2012 as dependent variable. The results show that though homicide incidence rates in Norway declined steadily and significantly after 1990, IPH rates did not begin to decline until 2015. The following IPH characteristics showed reduced incidence after 2012: IPH-suicide, perpetrators with a criminal record, and IPHs perpetrated subsequent to preventive interventions towards the perpetrator. Sentence length in IPH cases had increased. Changes were not observed for any of the other IPH characteristics investigated. IPH is often the culmination of long-term violence and can be prevented, even if risk assessment is challenging due to the low base rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nordic Nursing Research / Nordisk Sygeplejeforskning is the property of H. Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard) AS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several studies have found an association between salivary cortisol levels and dropping out of inpatient substance addiction treatment programs. The results are mixed due to variations in the study design and the lack of standardized routines for cortisol assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was (1) an association between salivary cortisol levels and dropping out from inpatient substance addiction treatments; (2) higher predictive validity for dropout in one of the cortisol indexes: Area Under the Curve with respect to ground (AUCG) or Daily Cortisol Slope (DCS); (3) an interaction effect with time for each cortisol index; and (4) different dropout rates for sex and patients in short-term versus long-term treatment programs. This was a prospective, repeated-measures observational study. Patients (n = 173) were recruited from 2 inpatient facilities in the central region of Norway between 2018 and 2021. Salivary cortisol was measured 4 times during the treatment period, with 8 samples collected over 2 consecutive days at each time point. Cortisol levels were calculated using the cortisol indices AUCG and DCS. Dropout was used as the outcome measure at each time point. Associations were calculated using a logistic linear regression. The results suggest a main effect of AUCG, whereby higher levels reduce dropout risk (OR = 0.92, P =.047). An interaction with time in treatment also revealed a higher dropout risk (OR = 1.09, P =.044) during week 4 of the treatment, depending on the AUCG. These results support using AUCG as the recommended index when assessing cortisol, and that the relationship between cortisol levels and length of treatment should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study compared attachment characteristics among women victimized by intimate partner violence (IPV) in no, one, and multiple relationships (N = 154). Results indicated that compared with the nonvictimized, victimized women had increased likelihood of higher attachment avoidance. Compared with women victimized in one relationship, women victimized in multiple relationships had higher likelihood of higher attachment anxiety scores. Adjusting for childhood adversities, childhood sexual abuse was an independent risk factor for IPV. Childhood emotional abuse mediated the association between attachment anxiety and IPV victimization in multiple relationships in particular. Attachment theory appeared useful for better understanding women's vulnerability for multiple violent relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homicide-suicide incidents make up a relatively small proportion of homicides overall, but occur more frequently in certain subtypes of homicide, such as men who kill their female partners. This study investigates aspects of intimate partner homicide-suicide (IPHS) by comparing it with intimate partner homicide (IPH). All IPHs in Norway from 1990 to 2012 (N = 177) were included. Quantitative data were extracted from court documents. Qualitative data were collected by interviews with bereaved. Multivariate logistic regression analyses and systematic text condensation were conducted. Nearly one fourth of IPHs were identified as IPHS. Perpetrators of IPHS were less likely to have a previous criminal record, even having a history of disregard and violations of the law. Perpetrators of IPHS were mainly native-born citizens and were more educated than IPH perpetrators. The motive of IPHS was more often jealousy than a dispute, but the motive was most often recorded as "other" or "unknown." IPHS was perceived as intentional, and the bereaved did not unambiguously support the interpretation that the IPHS had been triggered by stressful situations. The bereaved pointed to the loss of hope or loss of a future combined with an inability to cope with severe disappointments as an important risk factor. Within the framework of an interactional perspective, our findings indicate that IPHS shares more characteristics with IPH than it does with other categories of homicide and other violent deaths in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Norwegian health authorities expect the health service to be evidence-based. In order to meet this expectation, Molde University College established a postgraduate study programme in EBP in 2009. Objective: To examine whether postgraduate study in EBP helped nurses to change their attitudes and behaviour in relation to EBP. Method: A cross-sectional study with a pretest-posttest design. Nurses (n = 62) answered the Norwegian versions of the Evidence-Based Practice Beliefs Scale and Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Scale at the start (n = 56) and end (n = 55) of a postgraduate study programme in EBP. Results: The response rate was 90.3 at pretesting and 88.7 at posttesting. The distribution of responses to both scales showed good internal consistency. That is, the nurses did not use the scales in a random or unreliable way. The change between pretest and posttest was statistically signi [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research reports on an investigation of if and how help-seeking women perceived that they had coped in intimate partner violence situations. Within a cross-sectional design, a representative sample of 157 help-seeking women in Norway was interviewed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results indicated that exposure to psychological, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence, respectively, did elicit different coping strategies in one and the same woman. There were also significant differences between women who perceived they had effective coping strategies and those who did not. This research suggests that a multivariate design within an interactional perspective could inform and enhance our understanding of coping strategies in intimate partner violence situations as complex, heterogeneous, and dynamic phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives The Forensic Early Warning Signs of Aggression Inventory ( FESAI) was developed to assist nurses and patients in identifying early warning signs and constructing individual early detection plans ( EDP) for the prevention of aggressive incidents. The aims of this research were as follows: First, to study the prevalence of early warning signs of aggression, measured with the FESAI, in a sample of forensic patients, and second, to explore whether there are any types of warning signs typical of diagnostic subgroups or offender subgroups. Background Reconstructing patients' changes in behaviour prior to aggressive incidents may contribute to identify early warning signs specific to the individual patient. The EDP comprises an early intervention strategy suggested by the patient and approved by the nurses. Implementation of EDP may enhance efficient risk assessment and management. Design An explorative design was used to review existing records and to monitor frequencies of early warning signs. Methods Early detection plans of 171 patients from two forensic hospital wards were examined. Frequency distributions were estimated by recording the early warning signs on the FESAI. Rank order correlation analyses were conducted to compare diagnostic subgroups and offender subgroups concerning types and frequencies of warning signs. Results The FESAI categories with the highest frequency rank were the following: (1) anger, (2) social withdrawal, (3) superficial contact and (4) non-aggressive antisocial behaviour. There were no significant differences between subgroups of patients concerning the ranks of the four categories of early warning signs. Conclusion The results suggest that the FESAI covers very well the wide variety of occurred warning signs reported in the EDPs. No group profiles of warning signs were found to be specific to diagnosis or offence type. Relevance to clinical practice Applying the FESAI to develop individual EDPs appears to be a promising approach to enhance risk assessment and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]