Systemic Occupational Health Needs of Gender-Based Violence Advocates: Findings from the Early Months of the Pandemic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Conroy L ; Haen LS ; McGown M ; Taylor S ; Velonis A
• Description:
  Objective: This study explores occupational health burdens faced by domestic and sexual violence advocates, many of which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies key stressors and offers advocate-driven recommendations to improve their wellbeing, addressing the lack of system-level interventions in the occupational health literature. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 advocacy professionals. Thematic content analysis guided transcript coding, and researchers shared initial results with participants in two member checking sessions to validate the preliminary findings. Results: Advocates experienced logistical, emotional, and systemic stressors, including loss of peer support and unempathetic workplace cultures. Recommendations prioritize advocate wellbeing and call for systemic changes. Conclusions: Advocates' occupational stressors highlight the need for system-level solutions to enhance their occupational wellbeing, particularly during large-scale emergencies. Collaborative efforts among employers, funders, and staff are essential to address system deficiencies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Public Health Safety Stress, Psychological
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Gender-based Violence Advocacy COVID-19 Job Stress Mental Health Occupational Psychology Occupational Stressors Occupational Wellbeing Public Health Qualitative Analysis Wellbeing
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  66
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069242
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2024 May; 66(5):e145-e152
• Contact Point Address:
  Lisa Sophia Haen, MPH, Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, 1603 West Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60612
• Email:
  lhaen2@uic.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Illinois at Chicago
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:15eb946cc5e0e0978edb66a5368621aed79f6d86a61002b1f36b2242f5432f7f2e2160ac64dcfb4a3afbcfa6d25976eda63e29c266cdefe4865bd519be5abd1a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207751/cdc_207751_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 184.56 KB ]