Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite intimate partner violence (IPV) having increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, it remains under-documented in the Quebec province. To partially fill this gap, this study sought to investigate IPV experienced by women in the perinatal period in Quebec and health and social care providers' response in caring for both victims and their fetuses/children at the time of health restrictions. METHODS: The study adopted a qualitative exploratory descriptive design and involved eleven perinatal victims and eleven health and social care providers (HSCPs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted using in-depth interview guides. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The study showed the multifaceted dimensions of perinatal IPV during COVID-19. Spatial, psychological, physical, economic and sexual violence were reported by the perinatal victims. Further, we found that the type and magnitude of perinatal IPV varied greatly with the periods of restrictions. The study also indicated that perinatal victims faced spatial, institutional, cultural, geographical and perpetrator-related barriers to seeking help. For accessing formal and informal support resources, and escaping IPV, perinatal victims used diverse coping strategies. Additionally, we found that a wide range of barriers limited the ability of HSCPs to operate during the pandemic. However, to enable continued client engagement, they used several coping strategies such as remote working, hybrid IPV care (in-person and virtual services), close collaboration with other community organizations and pharmacies, food or gift card distributions; which reflects their ability to adapt and be creative to address challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: This study shed light on the necessity to improve the provision of health and social services to better prevent IPV and meet the needs of perinatal victims and their fetuses/children.