Behind the mask: A domestic abuse survey of healthcare workers to highlight support needs

Over 20% of the England and Wales population have experienced domestic abuse (DA). Healthcare workers’ DA experiences have been historically under-researched. We report the results of an anonymized, cross-sectional, online survey targeting all staff within one English National Health Service trust. It aimed to uncover employee experiences and inform improvements to the support provided by professionals in employee assistance programs, human resources, occupational health, and managerial positions, among others. Over 200 responses were collected, analyzed using descriptive statistics and deductive qualitative content analysis. Fifty-six percent had current or past experience of DA. Ten perpetrators worked in healthcare. Over a third of these respondents stated DA affected their ability to work. Over 25% had time off. DA affected health, and perpetrators directly affected their work, for example, stalking and harassing respondents. Eighty-four percent had not sought workplace support: barriers included confidentiality concerns. Of the total sample, a third knew a colleague experiencing DA, yet 40% of the total sample were unaware of all workplace support options. Respondents wanted economic and practical support, flexibility and safety, multi-agency referrals, and easy-to-access trauma-informed emotional support from the workplace. The trust implemented several innovative practices in response to these findings to holistically improve employee well-being.