Support during and immediately after pregnancy is critical to help families thrive, especially for those who may experience partner violence.
Dara Mendez, PhD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology, is coprincipal investigator on a new R01-funded study targeting intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period, which spans the latter half of gestation through the first month of infancy. Maya Ragavan, MD, MPH, MS, associate professor of pediatrics, School of Medicine, also is coprincipal investigator for the multidisciplinary project. Known as research project grants, R01 awards are considered a significant measure of an investigator’s achievement in their chosen field.
The five-year study, “Novel Doula Intervention to Leverage Clinic-Community Connections to Support Perinatal Intimate Partner Violence Survivors,” seeks to determine whether doula-based support can have a mitigating effect on IPV risk.
Doulas are trained advocates who offer mental, physical and emotional support during pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period. Doula support has been shown to improve health outcomes like preterm birth and increasing access to perinatal health care but has not previously been studied in regard to IPV.
The study is funded at nearly $3.8 million by the National Institute of Nursing Research. Cynthia Salter, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences, is a co-investigator, along with other School of Medicine and Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences faculty, as well as the Maya Organization, Healthy Start, and a half-dozen other community organizations.
-Michele Baum