Domestic violence in health settings

The papers reviewed in this article cover recent work on the association between domestic violence and other forms of intrafamilial abuse. Domestic violence affects the psychological health and social functioning of its victims, and recent research has suggested that the impact of such violence may be transmitted through the generations. Health professionals have an important role to play in the identification and assessment of, and intervention in, domestic violence, although few health professionals currently include a domestic violence screen as part of their routine clinical assessment. Recent policy documents from the royal colleges and Department of Health advise that screening for domestic violence should be introduced as standard practice in health settings. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.